Happy Llamakkah!

PreS–A family of llamas observe Llamakkah in this brightly colored picture book that reminds readers about the coziness and joy of that Jewish holiday. Each page describes different Llamakkah traditions in gentle rhymes, while personified llamas celebrate with their friends and family over the course of a wintry few days. Candles lit on the menorah denote the passage of time, while the llamas spin dreidels, light candles, fry latkes, sing, eat doughnuts, enjoy gelt, and spend time outside in the snow. An author’s note describes the history of Hanukkah and its significance, defining important words used in the text. While it is never made clear within the text that Llamakkah is meant to be Hanukkah, it’s an easy conclusion. Nichols’s digital illustrations of playful llamas are delightful and draw heavily on the shades of blues commonly associated with the holiday.