The Magic Dreidels: A Hanukkah Story
Worth buying if: You enjoy Eric A. Kimmel’s folkloric voice and Jewish-themed picture books.
Skip it if: You expect a nonfiction guide to Hanukkah history rather than a whimsical tale.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780823412747. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
In The Magic Dreidels, Eric A. Kimmel follows a child's discovery of enchanted spinning tops that change a family's Hanukkah evening—mixing humor, Jewish tradition, and a gentle lesson about faith and generosity in 30 illustrated pages.
Why this book now
For families and classrooms celebrating Hanukkah, Kimmel’s 1997 Holiday House picture book remains a warm, illustrated way to teach ritual, wonder, and holiday storytelling.
30-second preview
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You enjoy Eric A. Kimmel’s folkloric voice and Jewish-themed picture books.
- You want a short, illustrated Hanukkah story centered on dreidels and family tradition.
- If you enjoy unreliable narrators, the chapters are concise but emotionally rich.
- You expect a nonfiction guide to Hanukkah history rather than a whimsical tale.
- You prefer long chapter books instead of a 30-page picture-book format.
- You are specifically hunting for the newest framing rather than a backlist perspective.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780823412747
Worth buying if: You enjoy Eric A. Kimmel’s folkloric voice and Jewish-themed picture books.
Skip it if: You expect a nonfiction guide to Hanukkah history rather than a whimsical tale.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Quick Easy to move through
At roughly 30 pages with full-color illustrations, this is a single-evening read suitable for bedtime, storytime, or classroom sharing with young children.
What stands out here
This Holiday House edition emphasizes Kimmel’s storytelling voice and the book’s illustrated dreidel scenes—ideal for display during Hanukkah units or family holiday shelves.
Best way to approach it
Read aloud with expressive spins of the dreidel; pause on illustrations to invite children’s questions about Hanukkah rituals and the book’s little moments of magic.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780823412747
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.