Letter on the Wind: A Chanukah Tale

When a poor olive harvest threatens his village's Hanukkah celebration, Hayim, the poorest man in the village, decides to write a letter to the Almighty, asking for help. Despite the ridicule of his fellow villagers, and of the scribe who writes it for him, he persists, eventually entrusting the

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letter to a strong wind. It finds its way to the city, to the home of the wealthy merchant Ger Yehudah, who takes it as a sign from the Almighty that he must fulfill this wish. But his lavish gift, including a jewel-encrusted menorah inscribed with his own name, leads to trouble when Hayim is suspected as a thief, after attempting to share the riches that appear one day outside his door with the other villagers. Disturbed by the accusation against him, and restless, Hayim seeks the hillside each night. Has Hanukkah been ruined, despite this seeming miracle...?

Based upon a story collected in Dov Noy's Folktales of Israel, where it was entitled "A Letter to the Almighty," Letter on the Wind: A Chanukah Tale pairs an engrossing and ultimately heart-satisfying narrative from author Sarah Marwil Lamstein with appealing pen and watercolor artwork from illustrator Neil Waldman. I've read the Dov Noy collection, although I don't recall this specific tale, so I was interested to see what Lamstein would do with her tale. I enjoyed following along as Hayim's simple faith is rewarded, not once but twice, and I appreciated the way in which this more recent miracle mirrored the ancient one, which is the core of the Hanukkah story. The illustrations are lovely, with a soft, pastel palette that works surprisingly well with the tale, and a folky sensibility that I found appealing. I liked the way that Waldman used smaller panels of illustration within larger ones, on the page, as this emphasizes both the action of the tale, and the setting. Recommended to all young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone looking for engaging Hanukkah picture-books.

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