I HAVE A LITTLE DREIDEL

The standard dreidel song is enhanced with extra verses describing the Hanukkah celebration of family gathering, making and eating latkes, lighting of the menorah and, of course, rules and ways to play the dreidel game. “Cousins, aunts, and uncles / Come to my house today; / I give them hugs and kisses, / And later we shall play.” Coloring book–styled mixed-media paintings outlined in bold marker strokes nicely delineate simple yet familiar basic figures and objects with enough detail to encourage lots of visual study by younger listeners. Traditional-looking Jewish paper-cut borders in Hanukkah blue and white add an aesthetic appeal to this well-designed and enjoyable version of the well-known song. One quibble: The significance of the dreidel’s Hebrew letters representing the Hebrew phrase “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham” or “A Great Miracle Happened There” is omitted from the “How to Play” page. Latke recipe, game directions and song sheet are appended. (Picture book. 2-5)