A Hanukkah with Mazel

September 26, 2016
In the outskirts of Grodno in what is now Belarus, a poor artist named Misha goes into his ramshackle barn and discovers a starving stray cat curled up next to his milk cow. Soon Misha and the cat, which he dubs Mazel (Hebrew for luck), are fast friends, and together they celebrate Hanukkah. There are just enough potatoes for a plate of latkes (“Mazel gave a ‘meow’ of approval and licked her whiskers”) but no candles for grandfather’s elaborate silver menorah, so Misha paints a picture of one, adding a candle to the image for each night. This happy but meager existence takes an unexpected turn when an art-loving peddler appears at Misha’s door. Vavouri’s drawings, with their rough-hewn textures and Fiddler on the Roof aesthetic, are the real draw in newcomer Stein’s otherwise slight story. Misha and Mazel’s wiry bodies, bright eyes, and optimistic spirit mark them as instant soul mates. Ages 3–8.

December 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Misha is a poor artist living in a tiny cottage on the outskirts of the Eastern European village of Grodno. The locals are unable to afford his artwork, but he subsists on the potatoes from his garden and the milk from his old cow, Klara. When a lost cat wanders into his barn, Misha shares what little he has with her and names her Mazel, meaning luck. On the first night of Hanukkah, Misha fries potato latkes in oil and shares them with Mazel. While he has his grandfather's beautiful silver menorah, he does not have any candles to light for the holiday. "I may not have candles but I am an artist, and an artist has paint!" So Misha paints a picture of his menorah, and on each night of Hanukkah, he adds a flame to the appropriate candle. But he is worried he will not have enough paint to last for all eight nights. As with the miracle of the oil in the Hanukkah story, he has just enough paint so that on the last night of the holiday, all eight candles in his picture are lit, plus the shammash. The next day, Meyer the peddler knocks on the door and offers to buy Misha's paintings to sell to his customers. When Meyer sees Mazel, he immediately recognizes her as his lost cat, Goldie. Luckily, he realizes how happy she is with Misha and asks him to take care of her. Misha is relieved-Mazel has certainly brought him luck this Hanukkah season! The sophisticated watercolor illustrations depict shtetl life and beautifully complement the text. VERDICT Though very little information is included about the history and customs of Hanukkah, this is a heartwarming tale for readers of all faiths.-Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2016
Preschool-G Misha is a poor painter, and the folks who live in his shtetl are no richer, so his artwork goes unsold. One day, he finds a starving cat whom he names Mazel (luck). At first it seems the cat is the lucky one. He gets to share Misha's Hanukkah treats and warm himself as the artist paints Hanukkah candles. But Misha becomes lucky, too, when Mazel's owner, a peddler, turns up at the door. Impressed with Misha's paintings, he buys them, and happily, because he travels so much, he decides to let Mazel stay with Misha. Hanukkah stories often center around family, but this one cleverly puts a new twist on the meaning of the word as man and cat bond. Candles are naturally another big part of Hanukkah tales, but again, this tale shows that light can come into a home in many different ways. The detailed ink-and-watercolor artwork features characters sketched with humor, but the color choices are reminiscent of sepia-toned photosexcept for Misha's paintings. They burst with color. A fresh take on a very old holiday.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)