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from page G24

Moishe is the one who gives away
everything, much to the chagrin of
his wife. Then a stranger leaves a
magic pan that makes endless latkes,
but only for Moishe. His wife decides
to try out the pan and almost dies;
fortunately, Moishe finds her just in
time. After that, the pan quits work-
ing — usually.
If the story is deja vu all over
again, the illustrations are anything
but. David Slonim is a great artist; his
pictures are dark and revealing and
enticing, all in one. It's worth visiting
the bookstore just to take a look
at them.

The Tree of the Dancing
Goats, written and illustrated by
Patricia Polacco(Aladdin Press).
It's the tale of a Jewish family
who decide to help their less
fortunate neighbors at holiday
time. As they observe
Chanukah, the family remem-
bers their gentile friends who
can't afford a Christmas tree. So
the Jewish family makes a tree
and covers it with tiny dancing
goats carved by the grandfather.
Some families may view the
notion of Jews preparing a
Christmas tree as inappropriate,
as are some of the illustrations
(in one scene, the grandfather
inexplicably wears a talks while light-
ing his menorah).
Certainly the concept of wanting,
to help destitute neighbors, whatev-
er their faith, is good. But it would
have been much better to have a
Jewish family giving help and sup-
port in another meaningful way,
rather than creating Christian reli-
gious symbols.

Best Bets: Chanukah Books From
Throughout The Years

All ages:
The Doodle Family Hanukkah writ-
ten by "Jumpin Josh Flash" Coen,
with illustrations by Jeff "Magik
Mouse" Coen (Atara Publishing).
This will be tough, but imagine a
highly informative book about
Chanukah that is also great to look at
and a whole lot of fun.
Meet the Doodles.

The Doodle family includes (get
ready...), Oody, Trudy, Yankel, Bitsy,
Bubbe, Dad, Mom and their beloved
pet dog, Poodly. They're cartoon-like
characters who take readers on a jour-
ney into history; in this case, of
course, they're meeting up with
Maccabees. Included with this comic
adventure are facts about women and
Chanukah, holiday traditions among
Jews around the world, and every-
thing you need to know about getting
ready for and celebrating the holiday.
This book features a forward by Dr.

Laura Schlessinger.
Ages 2-4:
Let There Be Lights by Camille
Kress (Union of American Hebrew
Congregations Press).
This is one of the best Jewish holi-
day books around for the youngest
set. It's nice and sturdy, beautifully
illustrated and charmingly told.
Best of all, it gives the real message
of Chanukah: that it's a family time
when we recall our history (merciful-
ly, there is not a single mention of
gifts, which has nothing to do with
the holiday).
In Let There Be Lights, a father
reads to his children as they sit by the
fire. The family spins the dreidel and
lights the menorah. They dine on
latkes. Don't miss this book; it's an
absolute treasure.

Ages 4-6:
Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah by