Hanukkah in Little Havana

by Julie Anna Blank (Author) Carlos Vélez Aguilera (Illustrator)

Hanukkah in Little Havana
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Celebrate Hanukkah with Family!

Every December, a little girl in Virginia looks forward to receiving a crate of oranges from her grandparents in Miami, but this year is even better. The family is taking a driving trip to visit Nonna and Nonno in Florida! At Nonna and Nonno's house, they pick grapefruit and oranges under the sun. They dance the salsa and play in the waves at the beach. Best of all, they celebrate Hanukkah together. The girls help Nonna make latkes, and buñuelos stuffed with almonds and guava jelly. It's eight days of light and love.

Select format:
Paperback
$8.99

Publishers Weekly

When the annual December shipment of oranges doesn't arrive from Nonna and Nonno, this picture book's young narrator wonders about the missing bounty in this solidly familial portrayal of Sephardic Jewish traditions. Instead of the citrus arriving by post, the child's family drives all night from chilly Maryland to Miami to spend Hanukkah with grandparents in Little Havana. The relations, portrayed with varying skin tones, spend a smiling eight days picking and juicing oranges, visiting the beach, and eating latkes. When Nonna, snazzy in a crop-top ensemble, makes buñuelos, the giggly kids cover the treats—and themselves—with the "snow" of sifted sugar. Aguilera's tropically hued illustrations exude the heady joys of a warm climate, holiday home cooking, and unconditional love. An author's note discusses the story's roots; a Ladino and Yiddish glossary concludes. Ages 4-9. (Oct.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

 

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781728442853
Lexile Measure
830
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Kar-Ben Publishing (R)
Publication date
October 01, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV017110 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Hanukkah
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
Library of Congress categories
Hanukkah

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!