Kugel for Hanukkah?

PreS-Gr 1–This pleasant Hanukkah book won’t explain the holiday to newbies, but those in the know will enjoy following a child through a familiar experience. As each night of Hanukkah arrives, the narrator and her family light the candles and eat a different kind of latke. Each night her grandmother receives some specialty foods, while the child receives a series of oddly mysterious items rather than the pet she desperately wants. Finally, on the last night, there is no present for her. She and her grandmother enter the kitchen and use the grandmother’s presents to prepare a kugel. When her present finally arrives—a pet iguana (all of her other gifts were objects to help care for it)—she is delighted and names it Kugel. The text is concise, the child’s voice is authentic, the story is plausible, and the foreshadowed ending is satisfying. The tale reads aloud well and effectively depicts Hanukkah as simply part of life. Ashdown’s illustrations are brightly colored and appear to be mixed-media, with some watercolor washes and texturing that looks to be provided with crayon or pastel. The characters have simple, round faces with large eyes and noses created with single lines. Grandma is slim and hip, with short, brown hair, skinny glasses, and jeans. The family presents as white, with the male characters sporting yarmulkes.