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This board book received the PJ Library Author/Illustrator Incentive Award
Follow along as one by one, eight bright colors light up the dark Hanukkah nights. Sponge or spatter, scrape or stamp―each light is painted in a unique style. Learn how to paint Hanukkah lights in different textures, too!
Reviews
Betsy Bird School Library Journal Fuse 8 Production
I have often thought that should I ever turn to painting as a hobby, the first thing I would want to do is experiment with vibrant colors on pure black backgrounds. I can’t tell you why I find this combination so appealing. Perhaps it holds a kind of late 70s vibe for me that I dig. What I can say is that it’s particularly neat to see when it’s in a brand new board book. And a holiday board book at that! The first thing that you see when you lift the cover of Hanukkah Nights are these gorgeous red streaks just spewing out of the left-hand side of the page. On the right-hand side sits a single candle, also burning red, and the words below, “1 light. Special night.” As each night progresses, the lights increase and the colors and patterns on the left-hand page change. It’s almost trippy to watch. Which, when you think about it, means that it’s absolutely ideal for young growing brains. Colors and religion and board books all together? My kind of party!
Jewish Journal
Young ones will enjoy counting the colorful, glowing candles for each night of Hanukkah in Amalia Hoffman’s beautifully illustrated board book with its simple rhyming verse.
Good Reads With Ronna
I had a huge grin on my face as I read this beautiful board book because while the concept is so simple, it is gorgeously executed and a treat to read. Using bold black as the background like one of those scratch-away kits, Hoffman has cleverly employed a variety of techniques to depict the candle flames. These include drip, scrape, stamp, crisscross, sponge, spatter, doodle and brush. She shares a brief rhyming description along with a new color for each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. A different night equals a different spread and flame style.
“1 light. Special night.”
“1 light. Special night.”
“2 lights. Happy nights.”
Spare, stunning, and VERY shareable! I hope your children love this as much as I did. If they feel inspired to reproduce the designs using the back matter spread, Hoffman describes how to achieve the looks so be sure to have plenty of Kraft paper available this Hanukkah.
• Reviewed by Ronna Mandel
• Reviewed by Ronna Mandel
AJL
This unique and creative board book meant for the youngest children also serves as a clever art lesson that will encourage parents to try some hands-on projects with their toddlers. The concept is simple: each Hanukkah night is represented by a different colored candle and a different artistic technique that can be successfully imitated by children. The final pages provide the simple instructions. A child can use an eyedropper to drip paint to make a drip picture, or a comb or plastic fork to make scrape painting. Other techniques include stamp, crisscross, sponge, spatter, doodle, and brush. The black background emphasizes the bright colors and will surely attract babies and toddlers to this lovely book.
Lisa Silverman
