Roth, Susan L. (2004). Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
ISBN # 0-8037-2843-3
Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah tells the simple story of a Jewish family (depicted as mice) celebrating Hanukkah. The mice light the menorah, dance the horah, play with dreidels and eat latkes. It is the picture book version of a famous song.
I would use this book for 3 to 5 year olds because of its simple explanation of Hanukkah. The story does not get weighed down by trying to explain the holiday in too much detail, which would be too much information for children in this age group.
The illustrations were made using paper and cloth collages. This medium gives the story a warm and genuine feel, as they look handmade. They evoke a lively mood; like the pictures could come to life and start moving at any second!
To build background knowledge and provoke interest for the children, I would put out dreidels on a table during free play for children to explore and play with.
I would also leave out a menorah (without candles) somewhere visible in the centre 8 days before telling the story, giving children time to wonder about what this object is. Each day that passes by I would put a candle on the menorah, leading up to the day that I first read the story. I would see if the children notice the number of candles increasing as the days go by.
3 ways to present the story
Felt story: The illustrations in the book make a felt board a suitable way to tell the story. I would make mouse pieces similar to the design in the book, as well as dreidels and latkes pieces. I would also make a menorah piece and accompanying candles. At the beginning of the story I would put the menorah in the top corner of the felt board and throughout the story, add candles to the menorah.
Song: This picture book is based on a popular song. I would sing the song as another way to present the story. At the back of the book, there is the sheet music for the song. I would sing this version to the children using an acoustic guitar.
Puppets: I would make enough stick mouse puppets for each child in the class have during the storytelling. I would get the children to dance the horah, eat latkes and play with dreidels using the puppets. If the class is small (8 children), throughout the story I would get each child to put a candle on the menorah.
3 possible extensions
Cooking latkes: Cooking latkes would be a fun activity for the children to learn more about Hanukkah. The children would help me with the measuring, adding, and mixing of ingredients. If it gets too crowded/busy, make a few batches and have small groups of children at a time working on a batch, allowing everyone to eventually get a chance to make them. I would cook the latkes (requires hot oil, do not let children take part in cooking) and serve them to the children. They get to eat their hard work!
Movement experience: Dancing the horah would be an active and physical way for the children to learn more about Hanukkah. The horah is a circle dance: all the children would hold hands and move in a circle to the right as they cross and uncross their feet. It is a fun, cheerful, and energetic dance!
Making yarmulkes: Yarmulkes are traditional Jewish caps. I would invite the children to make their own yarmulkes. I would make the caps beforehand (using fabric such as suede, felt or velvet) and invite the children to decorate them using a wide medium of materials (feathers, yarn, fabric pieces, etc)
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