The Mexican Dreidel

by Linda Elovitz Marshall, Ilan Stavans, Maria Mola (Illustrator)

Overview

Danielito loves Janucá, especially playing dreidel. This year, he is old enough to visit Bobe by himself. Piñatas hang from the trees, and the kids in Bobe’s neighborhood play with Mexican tops called trompos. Danielito does not have a trompo, but he has a dreidel. “What is that?” “¿Qué es eso?” the other kids ask, as they invite him to join their game. The trompos follow the dreidel as it spins through the neighborhood. And Danielito invites his new friends, nuevos amigos, to Bobe’s house to celebrate Janucá.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728449289
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/03/2023
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	10.88(w) x 9.13(h) x 0.31(d)
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Award-winning author of almost 30 picture books, Linda Elovitz Marshall studied cultural anthropology, taught early childhood education, raised four children and a small flock of sheep, pursued a Ph.D. in anthropology, and owned and operated an indie bookstore prior to writing for children. Her Jewish-themed books include Talia and the Rude Vegetables, Talia and the Very YUM Kippur, Talia and the Haman-Tushies, The Mexican Dreidel (with Ilan Stavans), THE POLIO PIONEER: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine, GOOD NIGHT, WIND, and BRAVE VOLODYMYR: The Story of Volodymyr Zelensky and the Fight for Ukraine. Her work has been translated into almost a dozen languages and has been adapted for dance, theater, and radio. She lives in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State and in New York City.

Ilan Stavans is an internationally renown, award-winning writer, translator, and teacher born in Mexico. His work, adapted to the screen, TV, radio, and theater, has been published in more than twenty languages.

Maria Mola is a Barcelona-born illustrator living in Boston with her husband and three children. She creates whimsical art for books like Sparkle Boy, Maya Papaya, and Koala Challah, exploring the inner worlds of kids and everyday moments. When not illustrating, Maria enjoys crafting, reading, and cooking—often all at once. Visit her work at www.mariamola.com.

Editorial Reviews

08/28/2023

Visiting his grandmother, Bobe, solo for Janucá, Danielito notices the other kids in the neighborhood playing with trompos—traditional Mexican tops. Bobe only has a dreidel on hand, but after Danielito joins the other kids and gives it an initial spin, the dreidel becomes a perpetual motion machine that revives and rallies the fallen trompos. With the rosy-cheeked children in merry pursuit, the dreidel leads the trompos “through the park, around the neighborhood, in and out of stores, under pushcarts filled with food, and across blankets spread with wares,” Marshall and Stavans write, incorporating italicized Spanish phrases. The adventure ends back at Bobe’s house, where Daniel introduces the children to buñuelos, latkes, and a dreidel-shaped piñata. Mola’s chalky, bright-hued images, which portray characters with brown skin, evoke a sunny, cozy town and the fun of sharing with “nuevos amigos.” An afterword provides details on Mexico’s Jewish community. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Mola's chalky, bright-hued images, which portray characters with brown skin, evoke a sunny, cozy town and the fun of sharing with 'nuevos amigos.'" —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2023-08-12
A Jewish Mexican boy makes new friends through cultural communion.

Danielito loves Janucá (Hanukkah), and tonight, he and his Bobe will light the first candles. Danielito doesn’t know any of the kids in his grandmother’s neighborhood, but when he sees them playing trompos (tops) in the street, he asks Bobe if she has one. “No,” she tells him. “But I have a dreidel!” The local kids let Danielito join in, and when his dreidel is the last top spinning, something magical happens. Each fallen trompo the dreidel touches starts spinning again, and soon the dreidel is leading the trompos and the kids all through the town. When the tops finally stop, the kids invite Danielito to play with them the next day, and he invites them to celebrate Janucá. Together, they light the candles, enjoy latkes and buñuelos, and play dreidel. This friendship tale celebrates the Jewish diaspora in Mexico and the blending of cultural traditions it has occasioned. Spanish and hispanophone transliterations of Yiddish words are integrated into the text, the former usually paired with in-text English translations, the latter explained in the authors’ note. Mola’s illustrations feature rich colors and textures that vividly bring the Mexican town and characters to life. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A heartwarming story celebrating friendship across cultural lines. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

09/01/2023

PreS-Gr 2—This Mexican Janucá (Hanukkah) book, imbued with magical realism, tells a sweet story while introducing Mexican Jewish and non-Jewish holiday traditions, as well as Spanish words. Danelito is visiting Bobe (his grandmother) for Janucá, but he doesn't know any of the neighborhood kids and has no trompo (spinning top). Bobe provides him with a dreidel, and he spins with the other children. The trompos fall, but his dreidel keeps spinning, and when it touches the fallen trompos, they straighten and follow it. The children follow the runaway tops until one of them, hearing Danielito's distress, offers to help catch the dreidel. The tops slow and finally fall, and Danelito invites his new friends to celebrate the first night of Janucá with him. The text is concise without feeling stilted and includes Spanish terms organically within the story. The magical realism fits naturally. The art has the feel of being painted on wood, with visible brush strokes. Most of the children have brown skin and dark hair; Danielito is slightly paler, with medium brown hair. The town has cobblestone streets and brightly painted, flat-topped, stucco buildings all attached to one another. Children have large eyes, brightly colored clothes, and simple noses and mouths. An author's note tells the story of Hanukkah, as well as the history of Jews in Mexico. VERDICT This lovely friendship story does an excellent job portraying a lesser-known Jewish community and their traditions. An excellent choice for libraries wanting to expand their Hanukkah collections.—Amy Lilien-Harper

School Library Journal