The Extraordinary Dreidel by Devorah Omer & Illustrated by Aviel Basil - #bookreview

 

On Hanukkah, Uncle Haim the carpenter made Gil and Nurit a wooden dreidel. This was no ordinary dreidel. It was as big as a soccer ball!

And it had a secret compartment...

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It is Hanukkah, and brother and sister Gil and Nurit have just been given a wooden dreidel; a special one, made just for them by their uncle. The children soon discover just how special this dreidel really is when they uncover its secret, hidden compartment.

Gil and Nurit discuss which of their own things they should hide inside. Gil then decides that he will take the dreidel to his school Hanukkah party and offer a prize to the person with the best idea. But as he prepares to leave, the dreidel is nowhere to be found. When he fetches his jacket in the closet, however, he is met with a great surprise!

The Extraordinary Dreidel is a light-hearted, family-focused story for children that will educate them about the traditions of Hanukkah and their place within the holiday. Aviel Basil’s colorful, eye-catching illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to this enjoyable, meaningful tale.

***

Sundown today sees the beginning of Hanukkah for those who celebrate it, and this lovely picture book would make a perfect Hanukkah gift for pre-school/infant age children.

The book has super illustrations from Aviel Basil which support the story about a dreidel with a hidden compartment. As the children debate what they could hide in there, the family pet finds an excellent use for it herself. 

It has a delightful ending which children will love.

It would be a great addition to the infant classroom to aid teaching about Judaism and it's festivals.

Happy Hanukkah! Chag Sameach!

ISBN: 978 1784389376

Publisher:  Green Bean Books/Pen & Sword

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  24 (paperback)

About the Author:

Devorah Omer (1932–2013) was born in Kibbutz Maoz Haim in 1932. Completing her studies in 1952, she went on to become a teacher, which was when she began to write books. In her lifetime, she wrote and adapted more than 100 books for children and young people, which have been translated into many languages. 

She received a great number of awards for her work, including the Ministry of Education Prize in 1973, the Ministry of Education Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 2005 and the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 2006.

Her books also won her the Book Publishers Association's Gold and Platinum Awards on several occasions. She is one of the most prolific and popular children’s authors ever to come out of Israel. Devorah Omer died in Israel at the age of 80.

(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

(author media courtesy of ITHL and Pen & Sword Books)

(all opinions are my own)