our favorite hanukkah books

I LOVE pulling out the holiday books. It’s one of the first things I do to signify the start of the season, whatever it is, and it just feels so exciting. We have a collection of Hanukkah books that grows each year as I discover new ones. As a family that celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas, it’s important to me to make sure my boys understand the meaning of both holidays. I’m not gonna lie, it can be tough to compete with Santa and his merry elves and magical reindeer, but a few really sweet, interesting and funny Hanukkah books go a long way to engage my kids and help them enjoy the story of Hanukkah just as much.

SO HERE’S a collection of books to celebrate The Festival of Lights with kids of any age. Some explain the significance or traditions of the holiday and others are just fun stories. We have many of these books and some are on our wishlist. If you have favorites, please do share, we’re always looking to add to our collection. And Happy Hanukkah, lovelies. xo

Hanukkah Books

+ Shelf the Hanukkah Elf is our VERY favorite Hanukkah book. It explains and celebrates the differences between Christmas and Hanukkah and honors them both beautifully. It’s super cute and the illustrations are really whimsical and fun. +

+ Simon and the Bear is a really enchanting story about Simon’s journey to America and 8 Hanukkah miracles that help him along the way. The illustrations are beautiful. +

+ D is for Dreidel: A Hanukkah Alphabet is a holiday-inspired A-Z board book with bright happy pictures for each letter. +

+ Latke, the Lucky Dog is a story about a dog rescued on the first night of Hanukkah who accidentally manages to mess up just about all of the family’s holiday traditions. But of course they love him anyway. +

+ Oskar and the Eight Blessings is a really powerful and heartfelt story about the kindness of strangers. +

+ Where is Baby’s Dreidel? is a darling little lift-the-flap board book about baby trying to spin the dreidel. It’s super cute for little littles. +

+ You’re My Little Latke is just a super duper adorable rhyming board book celebrating Hanukkah. +

+ Dinosaur on Hanukkah is a super funny book about a dinosaur trying to participate in the Hanukkah festivities. +

+ The Eight Knights of Hanukkah is a great book. It’s a sweet and funny story about kindness and bravery and it teaches some Hanukkah traditions along the way. I love that it’s inclusive, too. +

+ The Hanukkah Mice is a story about a sweet Hanukkah miracle for a family of mice who live quietly in Rachel’s room. +

+ Hanukkah the Festival of Lights is perfect for littles. It explains how and why Hanukkah is celebrated in a simple and easy to understand way. +

+ A fun twist on the classic Goodnight Moon story, Goodnight Bubbala features a super lively family with a very different idea about their bedtime routine. You can have your own fuzzy bunny to go along with the book, too. +

+ Maccabee! The Story of Hanukkah is an engaging and energetic version of the Hanukkah story in full rhyme and the illustrations are bright and detailed. +

+ Is It Hanukkah Yet? highlights all the ways we know that Hanukkah is coming, both seasonal and traditional. I like the sweet illustrations. +

+ How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Hanukkah? is a super cute + funny Hanukkah version of the beloved ‘How Do Dinosaurs…’ books by Jane Yolen. We love it. +

+ Ok, Five Little Gefiltes is totally not a Hanukkah book, but it’s super funny, especially if you have a little yiddish in your life or want to learn some basics. +

+ Hanukkah Bear is a tender and silly story about a case of mistaken identity because Bubba Brayna can’t see very well and Bear can only growl. +

+ Little Red Ruthie: A Hanukkah Tale is a fun twist on the classic story that teaches some Hanukkah traditions along the way. The illustrations are fun. +

+ Wacky Pappy and the Dreidel Tornado is a colorful story about a dreidel game gone way wrong and how teamwork can save the day. +

+ Let’s Play Dreidel is a fun interactive book inspired by Herve Tullet’s super popular book Press Here. It’s just perfect for littles. +

+ Pinky Bloom and the Case of the Magical Menorah is a chapter book mystery that only Pinky Bloom, Brooklyn’s greatest detective, can solve. +

+ These ‘Indestructables’ books are SO awesome for tiny littles. And Hanukkah Baby has really bright cute illustrations and a very simple story to honor the holiday. +

+ Dusk is a neat story about the holiday season in the city and ALL of the lights that shine when the sun goes down. It’s an inclusive book that represents Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanza in the bright and interesting illustrations. +

+ This is the 25th anniversary edition of the classic tale of Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. One man outwits wicked goblins that have taken over the synagogue and stopped the villagers from celebrating Hanukkah. +

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