Emanuel and the Hanukkah Rescue

Starred review from September 17, 2012
In this beautifully illustrated and evocative tale set in the 18th century, Emanuel is a Jewish boy living in the whaling town of New Bedford, Mass. Emanuel’s father, a merchant near the sea who lived as a secret Jew in Portugal until he immigrated to America, still suffers from fear of religious persecution. Emanuel pleads with him to celebrate Hanukkah by placing the menorah lights on the window sill, but he resists. It is only when Emanuel takes matters into his own hands that his father realizes the true meaning of freedom and miracles. Akib’s chalk pastels set a somber yet hopeful mood perfectly, while the captivating storytelling will keep young readers glued. Ages 5–9.

October 1, 2012

Gr 1-3-This story, set in an 18th-century whaling community in Massachusetts, successfully blends a fascinating bit of Jewish American history with the cherished notion of religious freedom celebrated during the eight nights of Hanukkah. Nine-year-old Emanuel helps his Portuguese immigrant father sell the supplies to whalers. His father is a crypto-Jew, a descendant of Jews who were coerced into converting to Catholicism during the Spanish Inquisition, but who secretly practice Jewish rituals in their home. Having only known life in America, Emanuel cannot understand his father's reluctance to display the family menorah and thinks he is ruled by fear, unlike brave Captain Henshaw, whose whaling ship is set to sail the next day. Deciding he will run off with the captain, Emanuel leaves his father a note: "I need to know what it's like to be free. I hope someday you can be free, too." But when a sudden storm forces the ship to return to port, it is the Hanukkah lights shining in the windows that guide the ship safely home. Full-page chalk pastel illustrations in tones of deep blue and sepia focus on large shapes and characters, giving them a bold graphic feel, while the dark palette provides a dramatic backdrop for the golden candlelight.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2012
Grades K-3 With softly lit pastel artwork and a clear, exciting narrative, this picture book blends the history of Jewish persecution with a young boy's role in a gripping rescue story. In eighteenth-century New Bedford, Massachusetts, nine-year-old Emanuel's father owns a whaling supply shop, and Akib's images show the young boy on the bustling wharf, entranced by the ships that set out in search of whales, whose oil is used for lamps and candles. Emanuel's family fled persecution in Portugal, and even now, Emanuel's father warns his son to keep their religion a secret. During one Hanukkah, when Emanuel's family and their Jewish neighbors do not light the menorah candles, Emanuel decides to stow away on a ship, after leaving a note for his father. During a bad storm, the local lighthouse is damaged, but the Jewish community, inspired by Emanuel's note, does light its Hanukkah candles after all, and the glow brings the ship home. Parents and teachers will find many discussion opportunities here, while kids will enjoy the action of the boy who leads the way.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)