Happy Llamakkah!: A Hanukkah Story

by Laura Gehl, Lydia Nichols (Illustrator)

Overview

Celebrate Hanukkah with the Llama family in this joyful, rhyming picture book
 
Follow along with the Llama family’s Hanukkah traditions as they light their menorah, spin the dreidel, fry latkes, and more. Laura Gehl’s lively rhyming text and Lydia Nichols’s vibrant illustrations make for a festive read. The book also features kid-friendly back matter, with expanded information on the holiday’s history and traditions.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683357889
Publisher:	ABRAMS
Publication date:	10/13/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	22
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Laura Gehl is a former science teacher who still loves getting kids excited about science and nature . . . now through her books. Ever since reading about a poop-shooting caterpillar many years ago, Gehl has spent time researching and writing about interesting creatures and their behaviors. She is the author of more than two dozen books for young readers, including the Baby Scientist board book series, Odd Beasts, Happy Llamakkah!, and Happy Owl-Oween!. Gethl lives with her husband and four kids in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where she enjoys observing and exploring in the woods near her home. Gareth Lucas is an illustrator and designer living in Essex, England, with his wife and five children. After studying at the University of Brighton School of Art and Central Saint Martins, he has worked on a variety of projects but enjoys nothing more than illustrating animals, birds, and the natural world. When he is not working, he can be heard indulging his other love—the banjo!

Editorial Reviews

"The book’s funny premise—llama plus Hanukkah equal Llamakkah— pays off with an entertaining story of a llama family celebrating the Festival of Lights."—Horn Book Magazine

"A family of llamas observe Llamakkah in this brightly colored picture book that reminds readers about the coziness and joy of that Jewish holiday." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

"The book’s funny premise—llama plus Hanukkah equal Llamakkah— pays off with an entertaining story of a llama family celebrating the Festival of Lights."

Horn Book Magazine

"A family of llamas observe Llamakkah in this brightly colored picture book that reminds readers about the coziness and joy of that Jewish holiday."

School Library Journal

2020-08-18
Members of the camelid family celebrate Hanukkah.

In a cozy house, llamas and alpacas perform all the standard holiday activities, including lighting candles, spinning dreidels, frying latkes, and wrapping presents. The action is written in tercets, with three rhymed lines: “Latkes to fry. / Ribbons to tie. / Friends stopping by.” The title of the book is the oft-repeated refrain, with llama and Hanukkah combining for an amusing portmanteau. Unfortunately, the innate appeal and soft, wooly hugginess of llamas and alpacas are lost in the spare, stylized digital illustrations. Even those characters who are presented with a bit of extra fleece don’t look particularly fluffy. One scene of a menorah on the windowsill depicts the candles placed left to right, instead of the traditional right to left. All in all, there’s not enough substance built around the refrain to fill out even this slim book. A two-page author’s note describes the Hanukkah miracle and then provides further information on the various Hanukkah traditions lighted on in the book. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Not a must-buy. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews