Hanukkah Moon - Deborah da Costa

Illustrator: Gosia Mosz
For: Kids
Pub: 2007
Rating: 3/5
Read: Sept. 11, 2001

Isobel is visiting her Aunt Luisa, recently arrived from Mexico, for a couple of days of Hanukkah. Aunt Luisa is a university photography teacher and lover of wildlife. She gives Isobel her own camera and introduces her to the birds and animals in her backyard at night. She also teachers her about "Rosh Hodesh", the luna nueva, the new moon, when the bright side of the moon is facing AWAY from the earth. This she calls the "Hanukkah Moon." In the extreme darkness the animals feel safe and come out to enjoy the feast of nuts and berries that Aunt Luisa and Isobel have left them.

Apparently this celebration of the Hanukkah moon comes from the Sephardic Jews (originally from Spain) who settled in Latin America. Particularly important is for kids to see that there are Hispanic/Latino Jews....that, indeed, Jews live in every country and are from many, many backgrounds. This book really showed me that now matter how much I try not to stereotype, I still do. It was so cool to see Hispanic Jews celebrating Hanukkah - Jewish, not Roman Catholic.

The illustrations are not in what I consider the "traditional" Hanukkah colors of blues and silvers, nor of the "traditional" primary colors of Latin America. They are in gorgeous purples, oranges, and yellow-orange.. Different and unusual, this was a fun book to read. A glossary in the back and an author's note in the front are helpful and informative.