A Hanukkah with Mazel

by Joel Edward Stein, Elisa Vavouri (Illustrator)

Overview

Misha, a poor artist, has no one to celebrate Hanukkah with until he discovers a hungry cat in his barn. The lucky little cat, whom Misha names Mazel, inspires Misha to turn each night of Hanukkah into something special. He doesn't have money for Hanukkah candles, but he can use his artistic skills to bring light to his home—as Mazel brings good luck to his life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467781763
Publisher:	Kar-Ben Publishing (R)
Publication date:	08/01/2016
Series:	Kar-Ben Hanukkah Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Joel Stein is a former staff writer for CTB/McGraw-Hill. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, he lives in Florida with his wife, son, two birds, and a tortoise. His books include A Hanukkah with Mazel, The Pigeon Man, and The Capture of Rafael Ortega.

Elisa Vavouri was born in Athens. After studying graphic design and art she started illustrating books for children. She has since illustrated more than 80 books for Greek and international publishers. In 2005 and 2010 she was in the shortlist for the Greek State Award for Children's Book Illustration. She lives in Germany.

Editorial Reviews

"A hamish, warm, old-fashioned Hanukkah story."—The Horn Book

From the Publisher

2016-08-24
A poor artist, a lost and hungry cat, and a peddler are each blessed with good fortune during the week of Hanukkah.Misha, “a very good artist,” lives in an impoverished town where few have money to buy his paintings. The first night of Hanukkah Misha finds a tabby cat in his barn, adopts and names him Mazel (“luck” in Hebrew), and shares his meager portion of potato latkes. Though he cannot afford candles for his artisan grandfather’s silver menorah, Misha finds a way to commemorate the nightly ritual by rendering a painting of his heirloom. Using the last of his paints he depicts the glowing flames, one each night of the holiday, until a fully lit menorah is the focus of his canvas. Having just enough paint for the eighth candle makes for a subtle metaphorical parallel to the scarcity of oil in the traditional Hanukkah story, though Stein’s themes of hope and luck are the prevailing ones. The uncomplaining artist makes the best of things until a little luck brings to his door a traveling peddler who finds market potential in Misha’s paintings. Muted tones depict an Eastern European setting, a rosy-cheeked, bearded young religious man, and a wrinkly, sun-weathered old peddler. Washed-out scenes of an Old-World simple life contrast with the deeper tones of Misha’s numerous paintings. An appropriately modest reminder of Hanukkah’s promise and the importance of perseverance. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews