🕎 Jewish

Hanukkah books for kids: what it is and how to celebrate

When is Hanukkah? Friday 4 December 2026 to Saturday 12 December 2026. Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday 4 December 2026 and lasts eight nights.

What is Hanukkah?

Hanukkah (Chanukah) is the Jewish festival of lights. It remembers the Maccabees winning back the Temple in Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago: when they relit its lamp there was only enough oil for one day, but it burned for eight. Families light one more candle each night on a menorah (hanukkiah) for eight nights.

Who celebrates Hanukkah, and books for each

Jewish

Each evening families light the menorah, say blessings, put it in a window, eat foods fried in oil like latkes and doughnuts (sufganiyot), play dreidel and sometimes give small gifts.

📖 Free guide
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
Eric A. Kimmel
a clever hero outwits goblins, one night at a time
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📖 Free guide
Latkes and Applesauce
Fran Manushkin
a snowed-in family shares what little they have
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📖 Free guide
The Runaway Latkes
Leslie Kimmelman
latkes roll away through town, a funny read-aloud
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📖 Free guide
Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah
Sylvia A. Rouss
colours, counting and candles, for the youngest
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📖 Free guide
The Story of Hanukkah
David A. Adler
the history told simply, with a latke recipe
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📖 Free guide
The Night Before Hanukkah
Natasha Wing
a rhyming countdown through the eight nights of Hanukkah
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📖 Free guide
Hanukkah Bear
Eric A. Kimmel
a hungry bear wanders into Bubba Brayna's house for latkes: a funny Hanukkah story
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📖 Free guide
Light the Menorah!
Jacqueline Jules
blessings, stories and ideas for each night of Hanukkah
Questions to ask → View on Amazon ↗

Questions to ask while you read

Use these with any of the Hanukkah books on this page. Pick two or three, and there are no wrong answers.

What is the family in the story getting ready for?
Which part of Hanukkah would you most like to try, and why?
How do the people in the story show they care about each other?
Is anything in the story like something your family does?
What would you like to ask a friend who celebrates Hanukkah?

Ways to celebrate Hanukkah with children

Make latkes (potato pancakes) together and eat them with apple sauce.
Play dreidel with raisins or buttons as counters.
Make a paper menorah and add a paper flame each night.
Talk about a time something small lasted longer than you expected.

Hanukkah picture books at a glance

All the Hanukkah books on this page: Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (Eric A. Kimmel), Latkes and Applesauce (Fran Manushkin), The Runaway Latkes (Leslie Kimmelman), Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah (Sylvia A. Rouss), The Story of Hanukkah (David A. Adler), The Night Before Hanukkah (Natasha Wing), Hanukkah Bear (Eric A. Kimmel), Light the Menorah! (Jacqueline Jules).

Questions parents ask about Hanukkah

How do you explain Hanukkah to a child?

Long ago a small group called the Maccabees won back their Temple. They found only a tiny jar of oil for the lamp, enough for one day, but it lasted eight. So families light candles for eight nights.

Is Hanukkah Jewish Christmas?

No. It's a separate, older festival with its own story. It often falls in December, so it can feel similar in the shops.

How do you spell Hanukkah?

Both Hanukkah and Chanukah are right: the word is Hebrew, so English spellings vary.

Related festivals: Christmas · Passover · Diwali

All festivals, by month and by faith →

Traditions vary between families, places and communities; ask your child's friends and their families how they celebrate. As an Amazon Associate, Growing Wise earns from qualifying purchases.