Hannah's Hanukkah Hiccups

"Written by a twice nominated Tony producer for children ages 4-8, Hannah's Hanukkah Hiccups is a twinkling story about a good Jewish girl named Hannah who looks forward to performing a song about her dreidel on Hanukkah. Unfortunately she gets an incurable case of hiccups that continue day and night, for eight days. Remedies are suggested by family, neighbors, and her Dr., but nothing stops her hiccups. Hannah is at her wits' end the night of her Hanukkah performance, when she gets an idea while dressing for the show. Putting on her sequined dress and red tap shoes, she chooses to tap dance her Hanukkah solo instead of singing, and the tapping sound drowns out the sound of hiccuping! It is an ingenious solution, and magically, after the Hanukkah celebration and party, Hannah's hiccups finally stop. Hannah's Hanukkah Hiccups is a gentle multi ethnic holiday tale, with pokes of fun interspersed with traditions of comfort and faith. The humorous, limited palette illustrations in black, white, gray and red underline the caring thoughts of all who try to help Hannah with her hiccups. At the end of the story a Note for Families suggests ideas to discuss with young readers to encourage further interest and growth."— Midwest Book Review"In a holiday episode as notable for its cast’s diversity as its premise, a persistent case of the hiccupsthreatens to keep young Hannah from singing in her religious school’s upcoming Hanukkah program.When the usual cures fail, her Hester Street neighbors parade in with suggestions: dark-skinned Mr. Taylor thinks pickle juice will do the trick; Señora Rivera offers a string on the nose and counts to 10 in Spanish; Amar from the second floor brings cardamom cookies. Hannah tries peanut butter (Mrs. Morella) and pomegranate juice with mint (Mrs. Doukas). As days go by, the menorah candles are lit, gifts exchanged, and latkes served. Hannah resolves her dilemma by tap-dancing across the stage (“TAP Hic! TAP Hic! TAP Hic!”). "Next time you’ll probably get the Sukkot sneezes," her little brother quips. Hannah’s fondness for red clothes and her mane of curly dark hair make her easily visible as she's trailed by a string of oversize red HIC!s. Silva closes the festivities with Hanukkah notes, discussion questions, and warm wishes for a 'hiccup-free holiday.'"— Booklist