Review by Booklist Review
As Uri and his sister, Shir, wait for their father to come home from work, Uri fears that something has happened and he won't be home in time to light the Hanukkah candles at sundown. Soon Uri's mounting worries are personified in the form of the King of Darkness. Just as Uri and Shir bravely decide to battle the king, their father appears. They light the Hanukkah candles and celebrate the holiday as a family, their glow joining with the Hanukkah light from other homes to drive away the King of Darkness. A modern-day Hanukkah miracle! The rhyming text, translated from the Hebrew by acclaimed author Kurshan, is illuminated by Ben Ami's artwork, which captures the imaginative young boy's point of view and even some of his own drawings; her use of light and darkness beautifully reflects the themes of the story. Whether read as a holiday story or a universal tale of overcoming childhood fears, it can also function as a timely parable about deeper worries in a time of conflict and uncertainty.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--It's the first night of Hanukkah, and Uri and his sister Shir are awaiting their father's arrival so they can light the Hanukkah candles. But Dad is late! Uri worries about all the things that could happen. With the Hanukkah story of enemy armies on his mind, he imagines such an army invading his town. Uri and his mom look out the window at a rainstorm, which adds to the ominous tone. The illustrations throughout are delightfully complex. The people in the streets use umbrellas to shield them from the rain; Shir uses an umbrella as a war shield against the invaders. The enemy king is a dark blue, cape-wearing monster that depicts evil in a way that children can process. Uri imagines his father fighting the enemy with a flashlight, effecting the symbolism of Hanukkah. The story is concise and told in rhyme, and the artwork is a visual smorgasbord. Words and illustrations are tightly integrated--each is better with the other. The book ends happily. Back matter includes the Hanukkah prayers, information about the holiday, and an illustration of the enemy king eating one of the jelly doughnuts that Uri's dad brought home. VERDICT A first purchase for collections.--Jennifer Sontag
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Uri, his little sister Shir, and their mother are waiting for their father to come home to begin their Hanukkah celebration. As evening falls, Uri starts to worry. He imagines, and then draws, Dad in various possible real-life jams (flat tire, stuck in the rain). Looking out the window, he's freaked out by the shadows, which take the shape of an advancing army led by a blobby-shaped King of Darkness; an appended note makes the connection to King Antiochus IV and the Hanukkah story. Just as Uri and Shir summon their courage, their father appears -- bearing jelly doughnuts traditional for the holiday, and ready to light the candles. Effective rhyming text carries readers along while colorful, sketchlike illustrations are a creative mix of realistic and imagined scenarios. Elissa GershowitzNovember/December 2024 p.8 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
