Hanukkah in Little Havana
by Julie Anna Blank; illus. by Carlos Vélez Aguilera
Primary    Kar-Ben    24 pp.    g
10/22    978-1-7284-4284-6    $19.99
Paper ed.  978-1-7284-4285-3    $8.99
e-book ed.  978-1-7284-6918-8    $7.99

A Maryland family spends Hanukkah with their Nonna and Nonno (the Ladino names for grandparents) in Miami’s Little Havana. The lighthearted text takes them through their sun-kissed holiday: they run on the beach, spin a dreidel “on cool patio tiles,” and enjoy mouthwateringly described buñuelos alongside their latkes. Vividly colored illustrations add to the sense that this welcome Sephardic celebration is both a loving family visit and an ­exciting vacation. Back matter includes a glossary and an author’s note about Blank’s childhood memories of Ladino-speaking Cuban Jews from her visits to Miami. A handful of minor errors appear, including a dreidel with letters out of order.

From the November/December 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.