EIGHT WILD NIGHTS

childrensbooksWhen a wacky extended family converges on one house for all eight nights of Hanukkah, chaos ensues. This is not a warm and fuzzy holiday story, though traditional elements appear throughout. Here the kids play poker instead of dreidel, put chocolate gelt in the VCR, and listen to Grandpa Dave recount his eight-day toilet-paper miracle. Yet, in spite of the ruckus, the candles continue to glow, one added for each successive night. The amusing rhythmic text carries the action along from one crazy night to the next, supported by a busy cast of characters whose antics are illustrated on crowded spreads rich in color. By the end, the menorah is fully lit up, and the family has survived another celebration. An enjoyable, if irreverent, offering.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library