A Hanukkah picture book list curated by The Children’s Book Review in partnership with author Namoi Gruer.
From a dino-loving kid who roars through all eight nights of Hanukkah to a bear who wanders in for latkes, these picture books bring humor, heart, and history to the festival of lights. Whether you’re lighting the menorah with little ones or building a classroom collection, there’s a story here for every reader.
Here are 11 wonderful Hanukkah picture books for your holiday shelf:
Hear Me Roar! I’m a HANUKKAHsaur
Written by Naomi Gruer
Illustrated by Mel Zohar
Ages: 4-8 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Kalaniot (2026) | ISBN-13: 978-1-962011-19-8
What to Expect: Dinosaurs, Hanukkah traditions, puns and wordplay, messy fun, read-aloud humor
Miles loves Hanukkah almost as much as he loves dinosaurs, so he works both into the holiday. Each night he takes on a new dino identity, including VeLATKEraptor, TriceraTOPS, and MENORAHsaur, and each night brings a bigger mess and a cheerful cleanup. Filled with bright, cheerful illustrations, backmatter that includes a glossary, and a challenge to spot the dinosaur figurines hidden throughout, this is a book you don’t want to miss.
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Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat: A Chanukah Story
Written and Illustrated by Naomi Howland
Ages: 5+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Clarion Books | ISBN: 978-0395899038
What to Expect: Folktale retelling, magic frying pan, generosity and greed, humor, latke recipe.
Sadie and her four brothers are poor and hungry until a kind deed earns her a magic pan that cooks latkes on command. When the brothers can’t resist using it, they remember how to start the pan but not how to stop it. This funny, Sorcerer’s Apprentice-style tale includes an author’s note and a recipe for Sadie’s latkes.
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Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
Written by Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
Ages: 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Holiday House | ISBN: 978-0823452552
What to Expect: Spooky-but-fun goblins, clever trickster, folklore, Caldecott Honor, read-aloud favorite.
Hershel of Ostropol arrives in a village on the first night of Hanukkah and finds no one willing to light a candle, because goblins haunt the synagogue. Night after night he outwits them, until he faces the King of Goblins. Trina Schart Hyman’s eerie, atmospheric art has made this a classic.
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The Trees of the Dancing Goats
Written and Illustrated by Patricia Polacco
Ages: 5+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (1996) | ISBN: 978-0-689-80862-3
What to Expect: Family traditions, kindness, interfaith friendship, memoir-inspired story, sharing.
When scarlet fever leaves Trisha’s neighbors too sick to celebrate Christmas, her family decides to bring them a holiday. They cut trees and decorate them with Grampa’s carved wooden animals. Based on a childhood memory, this warm story is about friendship and giving.
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Oskar and the Eight Blessings
Written by Richard Simon and Tanya Simon
Illustrated by Mark Siegel
Ages: 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (2015) | ISBN: 978-1596439498
What to Expect: Historical fiction, immigration, kindness of strangers, hope, National Jewish Book Award winner.
In December 1938, a young refugee from Nazi Germany arrives in New York City on the seventh night of Hanukkah, which is also Christmas Eve. As he walks up Manhattan to find his aunt, he meets small kindnesses along the way, each one a blessing. The story is quiet and moving, with an afterword and a map of Oskar’s walk.
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Sammy Spider’s First Hanukkah
Written by Sylvia A. Rouss
Illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn
Ages: 3+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing | ISBN: 9780929371467
What to Expect: Spinning dreidels, candle-lighting, counting the nights, gentle introduction, series starter.
From his web, Sammy Spider watches the Shapiro family light candles and play with dreidels each night. His mother reminds him that spiders spin webs, not dreidels, but Sammy gets a surprise on the last night. It’s a sweet first introduction to Hanukkah traditions for the youngest readers.
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Hanukkah Bear
Written by Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
Ages: 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Holiday House | ISBN: 978-0823428557
What to Expect: Case of mistaken identity, hibernating bear, latkes, humor, dreidel game, National Jewish Book Award winner.
Ninety-seven-year-old Bubba Brayna makes the best latkes in the village, but her eyesight and hearing aren’t what they used to be. When a hungry bear follows the aroma to her door, she takes him for her rabbi and welcomes him in. The story has a latke recipe and a note about Hanukkah customs at the end.
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Hanukkah at Valley Forge
Written by Stephen Krensky
Illustrated by Greg Harlin
Ages: 7+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Dutton Children’s Books | ISBN: 978-0525477389
What to Expect: American Revolution, historical fiction, freedom and hope, Maccabee story, watercolor art.
On a freezing night at Valley Forge, a Jewish soldier lights the menorah and George Washington stops in. As the soldier tells the story of the Maccabees, Washington sees echoes of his own army’s struggle. Based on a true incident, explained in an endnote, it’s a good choice for readers who like history.
