Eight Winter Nights: A Family Hanukkah Book - Hardcover

Laura Krauss Melmed is the beloved author of more than a dozen books. She lives with her husband in Washington, D.C.

Elisabeth Schlossberg is the illustrator of several books. She lives in Paris, France, with her three children.

The story opens with a family bustling about, cleaning house in preparation for Hanukkah and, after sunset, lighting the first candle. Melmed traces their eight nights together in a cycle of 25 short, individual poems, often two or three on a double-page spread. Though they differ in tone, rhyme scheme, and length of lines, the poems create a continuous flow from verse to verse and page to page. The verse and illustrations work well together, depicting the relatives as they gather to light the candles, share traditional foods and games, and enjoy the pleasure of one another’s company. Created with pencil and pastels, the illustrations use plenty of curved lines and deep, warm colors to depict the celebrations in this lively, amiable household. The final double-page spread offers the biblical story of the holiday’s origins and a Hanukkah traditions glossary of words such as dreidel, gelt, and Tzedakah. This inviting picture book ends with the family sleeping tight, / wrapped in dreams / of candlelight. Preschool-Grade 3. --Carolyn Phelan