I am a children’s librarian and picture book author. I Will NOT Eat Latkes! is my second Hanukkah story. Gathering family and friends to make latkes is my favorite Hanukkah tradition. It’s a big production that involves using an old-fashioned cast iron meat grinder and several pounds of potatoes and onions. I also love reading Hanukkah stories with children, especially humorous ones that I can perform with lots of silly voices. The amusing situations and colorful illustrations in these books are sure to engage kids while teaching them about Hanukkah. Making, eating, and reading about latkes are some of the best ways to celebrate this joyous holiday.
I love this pun-derful book by the author of Meet the Matzahs.
Meet the Latke family – Lucy, her dog named Applesauce, Mom, Dad, Lex, and Grandpa. The fun begins when Grandpa (who insists the holiday is pronounced Chhhhaunukkah) tells Lucy about the brave Mega-Bees who fought to defend the Jewish temple by battling Alien Potatoes from the Planet Chhhhh. I cheer whenever Applesauce interrupts Grandpa’s outrageous tale to tell the true story of the Maccabees and Hanukkah/Chanukah.
The comical illustrations make me laugh, especially when the kippah-wearing Mega-Bees use their stingers and whisks to slice, whip, and mash the tater tyrants into tatters. And I was happy to learn the origin of potato latkes (or not). I think this silly story is a tasty treat with plenty of potato a-peel.
Imagine James Marshall's The Stupids celebrating Hanukkah, and you'd get the Latke family!
Lucy Latke's family is just like yours or mine. Except that they're potato pancakes. And also, they are completely clueless. After lighting the menorah and gobbling the gelt, Grandpa Latke tells everyone the Hanukkah story, complete with mighty Mega Bees who use a giant dreidel to fight against the evil alien potatoes from Planet Chhh. It's up to the Latke family dog to set the record straight. (To start with, they were Maccabees, not Mega Bees...) But he'll have to get the rest of the Latkes to…
This book about Big Larry, an alligator who cooks latkes in his food truck, makes me smile.
Larry’s crispy potato pancakes are a huge hit every Hanukkah. One year, he decides to use other foods to create latkes with different flavors. But his attempts at frying pears, kale, peaches, turnips, and other fruits and veggies are a disaster. I love that, with his friends’ help and inspiration from Granny Golda’s latke recipe, Larry figures out a delicious solution.
I like the bouncy rhymes and colorful pictures of the animals at the farmers market. The scenes of Larry concocting in his kitchen are a messy delight. I’m glad I don’t have to clean up after all his cooking, though! Reading this story makes me hungry to experiment with my latke recipe.
Everyone knows that Big Larry makes the best latkes in town. This year he's throwing a Hanukkah party for all his friends, and the latkes need to be extra special.
Building on his Grandma Goldie's famous recipe, Big Larry goes on a culinary quest to find brand-new latke flavors. But peaches are a soggy mess, and turnips are a flop. Big Larry's kitchen is a latke disaster! Good thing he has some help from his friends.
Cute and fun to read, the infectious rhyme makes it a great read-aloud, and the bold, colorful illustrations will make any reader hungry for…
It’s Rosh Hashanah, and Stella is finally old enough to make her family’s famous stuffed cabbage rolls. The recipe has been passed down from her Bubbe Sophie to her Nana to her Mama, with each adding their own special ingredient and a little bit of love. Now it’s Stella’s turn.…
I love that this book combines the folklore of the Golem with the age-old argument about what is the best latke topping.
When Bubbeleh visits her Bubbe in Schmoozeville, she discovers the normally friendly town is having a feud between Team Applesauce and Team Sour Cream. While her grandmother fries a batch of latkes, Bubbeleh makes a clay figure and accidentally brings it to life as a Golem. I like seeing Golem gobble down all of Bubbe’s latkes, along with applesauce AND sour cream AND ketchup!
I love how Golem goes on a rampage through the town, scarfing down latkes with all kinds of toppings – jalapeños, cheese, relish, and more. The hilarious pictures make me chuckle, but I think I’ll just stick with applesauce or sour cream on my latkes!
In Schmoozeville, a town passionately divided over whether latkes should be eaten with apple sauce or sour cream, the young main character brings a golem to life, and fun and zany chaos ensues. Golem is not your stereotypical golem―he's big, loveable, and very polite. And, Golem is a foodie! This is a story about freedom―the freedom to celebrate your religion the way that you choose and the freedom to eat latkes with the topping (or toppings!) of your choice.
I’m so happy to share this book featuring the adorable mouse from Pippa’s Passover Plate!
This time, Pippa is busy preparing for Hanukkah. But when she looks for potatoes to make latkes, her bin is bare. She takes her sled and races to her friends’ homes to ask for potatoes, but all their spuds are missing, too. Who stole them? And why?
I love how this book includes a mystery to engage readers, and the charming pictures provide clues that sharp-eyed kids can point to as the story moves along. I also appreciate the feeling of community when Pippa’s neighbors pitch in to help. I think this rhyming whodunit about a determined mouse is a wonderful read-aloud and a great way to get kids involved in a story.
Join Pippa's generous friends and neighbors as they come together as a community in this joyful companion to Pippa's Passover Plate.
Filled with rhymes and repetition, this is a perfect title to share and read aloud as you celebrate your own Hanukkah festivities! Pippa loves everything about her Hanukkah latkes—making them; eating them; and most of all, sharing them! But when her ingredients go missing, Pippa's dinner guests become Hanukkah helpers as she searches the whimsical winter landscape.
When a surprise twist brings the latke ingredients and new guests to her table, Pippa is thrilled to have gathered the most…
It’s Rosh Hashanah, and Stella is finally old enough to make her family’s famous stuffed cabbage rolls. The recipe has been passed down from her Bubbe Sophie to her Nana to her Mama, with each adding their own special ingredient and a little bit of love. Now it’s Stella’s turn.…
I like the inclusive concept: Anna and her mom celebrate Chanukah, but her new dad and stepbrother, Michael, enjoy Christmas. Michael always bakes cookies to leave for Santa. Since this is Anna’s first experience with Christmas, she wants to add a Jewish food. But what can Santa eat while riding on his sled? Latkes, of course!
I love the gentle sibling rivalry as Anna thinks of different foods (Chicken soup? Kugel? Tzimmes?) and Michael knocks down each impractical idea while bragging about his cookies. My favorite pictures show Anna imagining the disastrous results if Santa tries to eat soup, etc., while flying. I also appreciate that both holidays are represented in the illustrations. The recipes in the book look good, too!
To: Santa From: Anna My new dad and stepbrother celebrate Christmas, so you're coming to my house for the very first time. And I think you must be REALLY tired of cookies. I'm going to leave you the best Santa treat ever. Anna is excited that Santa will be visiting her house for the first time, and she wants to leave Santa a treat that blend
Everyone loves to eat crispy, fried potato latkes, right? Well, maybe not at first. Nosh is a koala who likes to cook latkes on Hanukkah. Potchky is a ring-tailed lemur who thinks the grated mixture of raw potatoes and smelly onions looks like rusty potato mush. Yuck! Potchky agrees to help cook the latkes, but absolutely refuses to eat them. How can Nosh convince Potchky to be brave and give them a try?
Written with simple words for early readers, this comic-book-style story about a picky eater uses humor to introduce themes of friendship, patience, courage, and trying new things.
