By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — Two books, with familiar stories for children, have been issued in time for Chanukah. My Grandfather’s Coat, retold by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by Barbara McClintoch has been sent to parents by the free PJ Library. And Hamantaschen or Latkes? by Kerry M. Olitzky with illustrations by Ruby Silberman has been offered for sale at $14.95 by Dragonfeather Books, a division of Bedazzled Ink Publishing.
My Grandfather’s Coat tells a story of not letting anything go to waste. A resourceful immigrant tailor trimmed a worn full-length coat, into a jacket, and when that became frayed, he cut the cloth into a vest. The vest devolved into a tie, and when the tie was no longer presentable, it was reshaped into a cloth mouse for the family’s kittens to play with. Five iterations in all for a single garment lasting for generations of the tailor’s family!
Hamantaschen or Latkes tells of friends whose mothers respectively own a bakery and a deli. Each girl touts their mother’s specialties – hamantaschen in the bakery; latkes in the deli. The girls arrange a contest, whereby passersby sample both Jewish holiday treats, and vote for which one they like the best.
At the back of the book are recipes for chocolate cream cheese hamantaschen and any time of the year latkes.
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World