Hanukkah Upside Down

Noah and his family live in New York City; his cousin Nora and her family live in Aotearoa, New Zealand. In frequent phone calls, the two pale-skinned kids compare seasonal differences between their respective hemispheres; as they do, they love arguing about "which one of them was upside down," Weissman writes. Hanukkah ups the ante on their friendly rivalry: is the holiday better in the winter or the summer? As they engage in activities (hot chocolate and snowballs vs. hot chips and cannonballs) and post photos to a shared album, Hoffman's jaunty, editorial-style cartoons show two kids who brim with individual confidence and who come to realize, through the nightly Hanukkah rituals, how much they share. This includes gratitude for "great miracles, then and now and all around," and a faith and traditions that transcend time zones and geography, making the world feel "right side up" no matter where they stand. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 2--This clever offering tells the story of two cousins on opposite sides of the world celebrating Hanukkah together and apart. Noah lives in New York, his cousin Nora lives in New Zealand, and they love to argue about which of them is upside down. They decide to have a photo contest about which Hanukkah is better. The story follows them as they do parallel but opposite things, yet celebrate the nights of Hanukkah in similar ways. Finally, each receives a present from the other: a shirt with "World's Best Cousin" printed upside down. The text and pictures weave together neatly. Using spot art, they each do something location appropriate (Noah has hot chocolate, Nora has hot chips), and then, integrated into the same spread, the same Hanukkah-related thing (eating sufganiyot). Appealing and accessible text is clear and deft, with nary a wasted word. The art is wonderful. Characters have shaggy hair and a Quentin Blake feel to them. The protagonists have light skin; Nora's father's has brown skin. Hoffmann fills the pages with movement, masterfully depicting the scenes with Noah and Nora doing the same thing by simply splitting pages in half so that they merge into each other, while using a cool palette for New York and a warm one for New Zealand. While the Hanukkah story is not explained, all the traditions are included. VERDICT Any library looking for Hanukkah books will want to add this unique international tale to their collection.--Amy Lilien-Harper