The Mouse Who Loved Latkes written and illustrated by Joy Nelkin Wieder; Minneapolis, Minnesota: Kar-Ben Publishing; (c) 2025; ISBN 9798765-675533; 32 pages; $19.99. Publication date: October 7, 2025.
SAN DIEGO — What joys the fantasy world of cartoons and picture books for the youngest readers provide! In this book, written for preschoolers through 2nd graders, an anthropomorphic family of cats introduce C.J. the mouse to the celebration of Chanukah.
Rather than eating the little rodent, the Katz family (their pun, not mine) introduces him to the chanukiah, dreidels, gelt, sufganiyot, and of course, to latkes!
Pappa Katz wears a kippah as the family lights its chanukiah and Mama Katz wears a Magen David necklace. The chanukiah is pictured on the final day of Chanukah when C.J., standing on a pile of gelt, uses the shamash to illuminate
Children learn about making friends from a kitten named Kitty and a little bit about kashrut. As an observant Jewish family, the Katzes couldn’t eat a mouse, even if they were tempted to do so. Mice, you see, are not kosher.
*
Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World