The Missing Letters: A Dreidel Story

by Renee Londner, Iryna Bodnaruk (Illustrator)

Overview

It's almost Hanukkah and the dreidel-maker's shop is busy. But all is not well for the four Hebrew letters that will soon go on the wooden tops. The Heys, the Nuns, and the Shins are jealous of everyone's favorite letter, the Gimel. They decide to hide the Gimels so that the dreidel-maker can't use them. But then the other letters learn that the Hanukkah story wouldn't be complete without the Gimels! Is it too late for the missing letters to be found?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541513846
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD610L (what's this?)
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Iryna Bodnaryk is a Ukrainian illustrator. She loves to experiment with media and style using a range of traditional and digital techniques. She loves travel, taking photos and sketching models. Iryna lives in Cyprus.
Renee Londner is the author of children's books including Ruby's Whistle and Stones for Grandpa, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book. Her stories have also appeared in magazines including Jewish Family, Shofar, and Spider. She lives in Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

09/04/2017
Everyone knows that when the dreidel lands on gimel, it’s winner take all. No wonder all the heys, nuns, and shins in the dreidel-maker’s shop are so resentful: what can compete with gimel’s popularity at Hanukkah? “When the dreidel stops on me, they have to add to the pot,” grumbles a shin, as the letters engage in misery one-upmanship. But what if all the gimels went missing? Maybe the rules of the game—and the letters’ pecking order—would change? It’s an ingenious idea for a story but, alas, not a fully realized one. Bodnaruk’s illustrations feel unfocused and fussed over, and she struggles to turn the letters into vivid characters (they resemble blobby brown imps in colorful robes). Londner capably channels the letters’ jealousy (and Jewish inflections), but she brings the story to a halt midway to explain the dreidel’s backstory and prove that it is no mere toy. Ages 4–9. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"The heys, the nuns and the shins are all ready for Chanukah. But where are the gimels? The dreidel maker is ready to affix the letters that adorn the four sides of the dreidel, but he has a problem – a missing letter. Look for the clues scattered throughout the book to see if he will find the gimels in time for Chanukah" - Cleveland Jewish News

From the Publisher