The Dreidel that Wouldn't Spin

September 15, 2014
Contrary to what the title says, the dreidel it mentions will spin—it just won’t spin for the spoiled, greedy kids who are its first and second owners. Once it’s in the hands of a child “of simple means,” who understands that “the miracle of Hanukkah truly could not be bought,” the dreidel spins “for several minutes, longer than any dreidel they had ever seen.” The colorful drawings by Bernhard (Never Say a Mean Word Again) evoke Judaism’s Eastern European past, but overwriting by Simpson, a children’s librarian as well as author (What NOT to Give Your Mom on Mother’s Day), tends to swamp the otherwise nifty premise. Ages 5–up. Illustrator’s agent: Ronnie Ann Herman, Herman Agency.

September 1, 2014
A child's innocent appreciation for life's small wonders transforms a shopkeeper's business attitude during the busy selling season of Hanukkah. The owner of the small toyshop is immediately intrigued with the potential of a large profit if he can sell a peddler's oversized, elaborately painted dreidel. Ignoring the peddler's statement that "the miracle of Hanukkah cannot be bought," the shopkeeper places the new dreidel prominently in the window, attracting the attention of a spoiled girl who demands her father buy it. But the dreidel will not spin for the girl, so she returns it for a refund the next day. An equally arrogant boy buys the dreidel and returns it for the same reason, leaving the shopkeeper mystified. Finally, a poor child enters the shop and lovingly admires the beautiful dreidel as a symbol of Hanukkah. When he is coaxed by the shopkeeper to spin it, the dreidel spins for several minutes, magically changing its letters as it falls to indicate a poignant message. The shopkeeper decides to gift the special dreidel to this poor but respectful boy. Simpson uses familiar European folk-tale motifs, which Bernhard matches with acrylic paintings of an Old World setting; both illustrate how humility outshines greed and arrogance. Backmatter explains the real miracle of Hanukkah and the holiday's significance as well as rules for playing dreidel. A sweet original tale with a timeless, though not holiday-specific message (Picture book. 5-7)

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October 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-In this gentle parable, a peddler gives a splendorous Hanukkah dreidel to the greedy owner of a toy shop with the admonishment that ."..the miracle of Hanukkah cannot be bought." In turn, the shopkeeper sells the one-of-a-kind dreidel to a wealthy man at a substantial price, but the next day the man and his spoiled daughter return it, demanding their money back because the dreidel will not spin. A similar scenario ensues with a mother and son who have the same complaint, yet the shopkeeper finds that he can spin the dreidel without trouble. Confused, he puts it away, until a poor man and his son enter the shop, content simply to look at all the wonderful toys. Moved by their humble and gracious manner, the shopkeeper hands the dreidel to the boy, who is able to twirl it for several minutes, causing the message on it to transform from the traditional "A great miracle happened there" to "A small miracle happened here." Folkloric watercolor illustrations in a pale palette are appropriately soft in tone while images of the toys offering their own expressive impressions of the goings-on inject a bit of humor. A lovely choice for those wishing to circumvent the more commercial aspects of the holiday.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

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