All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah

Set on New York City’s Lower East Side in the early 1900s, this picture book follows five Jewish immigrant sisters as they prepare for the first night of Hanukkah. While the older girls peel, grate, and fry latkes with Mama, youngest sister Gertie longs to help but is told she is too small for the dangerous hot-oil task. Upset, she disrupts preparations until Papa’s loving reassurance turns the evening around. When the family gathers to light the menorah, Papa offers Gertie the honor of placing the first candle, restoring her sense of belonging. The story gently introduces Hanukkah traditions, family bonds, and the immigrant experience through warm text and rich, historically detailed illustrations.