The Mexican Dreidel
by Linda Elovitz Marshall and Ilan Stavans; illus. by Maria Mola
Primary    Kar-Ben    24 pp.
10/23    9781728449289    $19.99
e-book ed.  9781728495385    $8.99

Danielito is visiting his Bobe for Janucá. He doesn’t have a trompo to play with the neighborhood kids, but Bobe supplies a dreidel. A chase through town after both types of spinning tops provides shared glee, followed by shared buñuelos and latkes. Illustrations with varied compositions spotlight Bobe’s neighborhood in this relatable story about wanting to fit in and embracing individuality. An appended note provides background about the holiday and the Jewish community in Mexico, including some linguistic context (e.g., Bobe is a Spanish transliteration of the Yiddish Bubbe).

From the November/December 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.