The Best Hanukkah Books For Kids

From lighting the menorah and playing dreidel to eating latkes, Hanukkah is a holiday that brings families together. Share a story about this Festival of Lights with your children to gain more insight into the traditions associated with this special holiday.

There are plenty of wonderful hanukkah books for kids, but we’ve curated the best we could find. Each story will bring your children joy and honor the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah in a meaningful way.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Hanukkah Nights

Eric Carle’s beloved children’s classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is one of the world’s most beloved picture books. Since 1969 it has been translated into more than 25 languages and sold over 12 million copies – inspiring countless sequels that continue to delight readers today. Its legacy continues to spread worldwide through numerous spin-offs and sequels alike.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar: 8 Nights of Hanukkah is the perfect way to introduce young readers to this holiday and its customs. This board book is filled with vibrant illustrations of a beloved caterpillar that will enchant kids of all ages.

This clever little book tells the tale of Hanukkah’s miracle of oil burning for eight nights. The plot revolves around a band of evil goblins trying to steal the oil and prevent villagers from lighting their menorahs. Hershel, a brave hero from Ostropol, is determined to stop them.

This vibrant board book pays homage to one of history’s best-known picture books, offering young readers an engaging introduction to Hanukkah. While it may not be the most exciting or educational book about the holiday, it makes for a good option for families who celebrate it and those seeking a fun read-aloud.

Elmo’s First Hanukkah

Elmo’s First Hanukkah is an engaging and festive story. This book decodes the holiday in straightforward language and includes plenty of pictures of menorahs, dreidels, and latkes. The illustrations are bright and vibrant – making it the ideal addition to any collection.

In this endearing picture book, young Elmo learns about Hanukkah and its traditions while celebrating with his friends at their house. After dinner, they play the game of dreidel – complete with a finger puppet version and instructions for playing it!

Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas by Natasha Wing (Sesame Street) This story highlights the importance of kindness and sharing during the holiday season. As characters on Sesame Street exhibit their gruff side, an unexpected new arrival brings smiles to everyone’s faces and ignites everyone’s holiday spirit.

Another charming Sesame Street story that emphasizes kindness during the holiday is Biscuit’s Hanukkah by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. This tale provides kids with the history behind this Jewish holiday, from the Maccabees to the oil that burned for eight nights.

This board book is perfect for young readers and is super durable, meaning your child will want to read it time after time. It also includes directions on spinning the dreidel and making latkes. Furthermore, there are 14 glittery stickers featuring traditional Jewish holiday symbols like coins known as gelt, latkes, and more!

The Menashe Family: Hanukkah Nights

The Menashe Family: Hanukkah Nights is a charming picture book that tells the tale of a family trapped at home during Hanukkah due to a blizzard. While they lack apples and potatoes for traditional latkes and applesauce, they improvise and are rewarded with an unexpected winter miracle.

This folktale serves as a great example of how Hanukkah offers parents an opportunity to share the meaning and significance of this holiday with their children. Papa encourages his kids to remain positive even in challenging times, showing that there’s always something to celebrate!

It’s also an excellent opportunity to teach your kids about the history of Hanukkah and how Jewish families still celebrate it today. Not only is it a fun read, but its captivating illustrations will surely hold their attention.

One of the best ways to create a Hanukkah tradition with your children is to set aside one special night each year that celebrates this festival. This is an ideal opportunity to try new activities together as a family and strengthen the bonds between you.

Start a family craft night or explore an activity your kids enjoy, such as sports. Whatever you decide to do, make it an enjoyable experience that you can look back on fondly in years to come.

Another great option for celebrating Hanukkah is to have a different theme every day of the holiday. For instance, have pajama day on the first night, or host craft activities each morning.

The Latke Family: Hanukkah Nights

Are you searching for an entertaining Hanukkah book for your little one? Look no further than this endearing tale about a family of potato latkes! It’s sure to become part of their collection and will have them asking for more each night!

The Latke Family: Hanukkah Nights is an endearing story about Max and Rachel as they prepare to celebrate their first Hanukkah in their new apartment. When Max and Rachel struggle with finding candles, menorahs, and dreidels for their celebration, it turns out that neighbors can help make it successful!

This board book is an engaging, colorful way for toddlers and young children to learn about Hanukkah. It teaches about the traditions and symbols of Hanukkah while teaching them how to count from 1-10.

A must-have addition for any Hanukkah library!

In this picture book, a young girl discovers her grandparents’ latke recipe is an ideal way to celebrate the holiday. She also learns about other Jewish families and how they observe this special occasion.

Meet the Latkes: Hanukkah Nights is rated TV-Y and available to stream on PBS Kids, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV.

This book takes a humorous spin on the Hanukkah story by featuring Grandpa Latke as its narrator. His account, told as an amusing parody of the actual narrative, is both entertaining and informative – sure to delight readers both to read and listen to!

The Itsy Bitsy Spider: Hanukkah Nights

When it comes to holidays, nothing beats spending quality time with your family by reading an enjoyable book. And the best part of these books? They’re all so festive and entertaining!

This board book adds a festive Hanukkah touch to the beloved Itsy Bitsy Spider nursery rhyme. With sweet, straightforward rhymes and an adorable story to go along with it, this book makes the perfect Hanukkah gift!

The Itsy Bitsy Spider: Hanukkah Nights is the ideal book for children of any faith or tradition. It follows a young girl as she discovers Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish festival of lights and how she can celebrate it with friends and family.

It also explains the significance of Hanukkah, with beautiful illustrations to help children comprehend its story and why it’s so important.

Another excellent choice for families of any faith or tradition is David A. Alder’s Hanukkah Cookies with Sprinkles.

This book is an excellent way to teach kids about Hanukkah and tzedakah, the Hebrew word for charity. Sara starts off by leaving Morris some rotting fruit in her grocery bag, eventually surprising him with some delicious Hanukkah cookies!

The book also instructs kids about other holiday customs, like eating latkes and playing dreidel. Plus, it’s a captivating tale about an integrated family unit coming together to celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah together.

The Ninth Night of Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem. It lasts eight nights, with one candle being lit each night on its menorah. Additionally, this holiday encourages people to give back by helping those less fortunate through charitable deeds.

That is why Hanukkah is such an important holiday for children. It encourages them to be kind and helpful to their neighbors and new acquaintances while also teaching them about different religions and cultures.

A recent picture book, The Ninth Night of Hanukkah, takes an unusual approach to celebrating this holiday. When a Jewish family moves into an apartment and can’t locate their Hanukkah box, its children enlist help from their diverse neighbors in order to make up for any missing supplies.

They find substitute menorah candles, dreidels and latkes in their new building. After celebrating “The Ninth Night,” a celebration is held to remember their neighbors for all they did for them during Hanukkah.

Eventually, they are even able to receive a new Hanukkah box from their parents. This book serves as an excellent introduction to Hanukkah and demonstrates its emphasis on helping others.

This stunning picture book from Sammy Spider series educates children on Hanukkah while entertaining them. It also has plenty of rhyming text that makes it a fun read for young readers. A perfect choice for any young child and the ideal holiday gift this year!