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Summary
Summary
The whole kingdom has gathered to celebrate Hanukkah--but a dastardly dragon keeps interrupting the festivities. Can the Eight Knights of Hanukkah set things right?
A Sydney Taylor Notable Book
It's the last night of Hanukkah and everyone is doing their part for the big celebration, but a dragon called Dreadful has other ideas. He roams the countryside, interrupting the party preparations. Lady Sadie must call upon the Eight Knights of Hanukkah to perform deeds of awesome kindness and stupendous bravery and put an end to the dragon's shenanigans.
When Dreadful eats all the special donuts the baker made, Sir Lily helps the baker make more sufganiyot. Sir Alex makes a young lad a new dreidel after Dreadful scorched his original one. And on the Knights go--but when they finally catch up to Dreadful, a funny surprise awaits them!
Leslie Kimmelman crafts a humorous and touching story out of a bit of wordplay and a love for a holiday that truly shines. Galia Bernstein's artwork is full of appeal and is sure to satisfy fantasy fans.
Back matter includes a note on the traditions of Hanukkah and directions for playing the dreidel game.
Author Notes
Leslie Kimmelman has long been associated with Sesame Workshop both as a writer and editor. She is the author of more than three dozen children's books, including The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah and Write On, Irving Berlin! , which were both Sydney Taylor Notable Books, and the Sydney Taylor Honor Book Everybody Says Shalom . She lives in the New York City area.
Galia Bernstein was born and raised in Israel. She worked as the art director of two Israeli children's magazines before moving to New York City to study illustration at the Parsons School of Design. Galia currently works as a freelance illustrator and is the author-illustrator of Leyla and I Am a Cat , which received three starred reviews. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
After a dragon causes damage that puts a crimp in preparations for a kingdom-wide Hanukkah party, Lady Sadie charges her ethnically diverse children, the Eight Knights of Hanukkah, with engaging in "deeds of awesome kindness and stupendous bravery" to undo it. Sir Gabriel peels a mound of potatoes for latkes, Sir Lily steps in to make a huge batch of sufganiyot, and Sir Henry cleans the entire castle and brings his mother a cup of tea. Sir Isabella and Sir Rugelach, on the hunt throughout, finally encounter the dragon, who turns out to be a cute and unfairly labeled critter named Rosie--and an ace menorah lighter. Party on! Kimmelman and Bernstein's gentle spoof employs just enough amusing medieval jokes (Sir Gabriel dons an apron that reads "Kisseth the cook" in Gothic type) to make the core idea fun to grasp: it takes good deeds of all shapes and sizes to make the world go 'round. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)
Horn Book Review
"A dastardly dragon named Dreadful" threatens Hanukkah, but never fear: eight knights (a casually diverse company) are ready to "fix things with some deeds of awesome kindness and stupendous bravery." And so they do: Sir Alex carves a dreidel to replace a scorched one, Sir Margaret picks apples for applesauce with her presumably fireproof lance, and Sir Rugelach and Sir Isabella roam the countryside in search of...what turns out to be a not-so-dreadful dragon. (Fire-breathing, after all, can be a useful skill around a menorah.) The faux-medieval silliness is complemented with old-timey illustrations and heavily adorned initial caps on a parchment-white background. Back matter briefly explains the traditions of Hanukkah. Shoshana Flax November/December 2020 p.37(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A mix of medieval derring-do and Hanukkah preparation and celebration. A map of a castle and its environs opens the tale. The eight knights, diverse in gender and race, are siblings, the children of Lady Sadie. She sends them forth on great steeds to foil the "dastardly dragon named Dreadful," which is wreaking havoc with the realm's Hanukkah celebrations. Their weapons are "awesome kindness and stupendous bravery." Sir Alex carves a replacement for a charred dreidel. Sir Gabriel helps prepare latkes. Sir Margaret assists with making applesauce. Others perform the "mitzvah of bringing chicken soup to the hungry," fry doughnuts, and clean the castle. The last two--Sir Isabella and Sir Rugelach--prepare to do battle with the dragon until they discover that it is just a "baby dragon" named Rosie. And so their Round Table is filled with tasty treats and a menorah while guests and brave deed-doers fill the seats. And readers will not be surprised to see who lights the candles. The narrative is laced with medievalesque wordage as in "Hark! Methinks" and "Worryeth not." Colorful cartoon illustrations portray happy encounters between the knights and the ordinary folk, interspersed with hints to the dragon's whereabouts. For those on a quest for a different take on a holiday tail--oops!--tale. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Lady Sadie has a problem: a dastardly dragon is roaming the countryside ruining preparations for the last night of Hanukkah. She calls together her eight knights (of diverse ethnicity, some female) and charges them with fixing matters. One by one each contributes to the event--carving a new dreidel, peeling potatoes for latkes, picking apples for sauce, sharing chicken soup, making sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), and cleaning the castle--but none attempts to slay the dragon. Then Sirs Isabella and Rugelach discover that the dragon ("Rosie") is only a baby who would like to be included in the festivities. Kimmelman's slyly humorous text ("'Worryeth not,' said Sir Lily.") is complemented by Bernstein's cartoon art, which features minimalist backgrounds, medieval illuminated letters, and expressive facial features. While most of the knights are supremely competent, Isabella and Regelach play to great comic effect. Until the very end they seem destined for failure, and Rugelach never stops eating his eponymous dessert. Appended with a note about Hanukkah traditions, this will be welcomed by families and religious schools.
