Happy Llamakkah!

September 1, 2020
Members of the camelid family celebrate Hanukkah. In a cozy house, llamas and alpacas perform all the standard holiday activities, including lighting candles, spinning dreidels, frying latkes, and wrapping presents. The action is written in tercets, with three rhymed lines: "Latkes to fry. / Ribbons to tie. / Friends stopping by." The title of the book is the oft-repeated refrain, with llama and Hanukkah combining for an amusing portmanteau. Unfortunately, the innate appeal and soft, wooly hugginess of llamas and alpacas are lost in the spare, stylized digital illustrations. Even those characters who are presented with a bit of extra fleece don't look particularly fluffy. One scene of a menorah on the windowsill depicts the candles placed left to right, instead of the traditional right to left. All in all, there's not enough substance built around the refrain to fill out even this slim book. A two-page author's note describes the Hanukkah miracle and then provides further information on the various Hanukkah traditions lighted on in the book. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.) Not a must-buy. (Picture book. 2-5)

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November 1, 2020

PreS-A family of llamas observe Llamakkah in this brightly colored picture book that reminds readers about the coziness and joy of that Jewish holiday. Each page describes different Llamakkah traditions in gentle rhymes, while personified llamas celebrate with their friends and family over the course of a wintry few days. Candles lit on the menorah denote the passage of time, while the llamas spin dreidels, light candles, fry latkes, sing, eat doughnuts, enjoy gelt, and spend time outside in the snow. An author's note describes the history of Hanukkah and its significance, defining important words used in the text. While it is never made clear within the text that Llamakkah is meant to be Hanukkah, it's an easy conclusion. Nichols's digital illustrations of playful llamas are delightful and draw heavily on the shades of blues commonly associated with the holiday. VERDICT A sweet if simple addition to the Hanukkah canon. Purchase in larger collections and where holiday books are needed.-Kelsey Socha, Springfield City Lib., MA

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