HANUKKAH LIGHTS

Adding to his successful I Can Read collection of poetry anthologies, Hopkins has compiled 12 verses related to the holiday from well-known authors such as Jane Yolen, Maria Fleming, and Lillian Fisher. Poems range from personal feelings of joy to those of wonder and awe. In the first poem by Fleming, entitled “Dizzy,” a euphoric sensation of twirling like a spinning top or dreidel is the main focus. Fisher’s “Hanukkah” shows all the holiday traditions as a remembrance of the miracle—“Bring the shamash, / light a candle, / say the ancient prayer. / Spin the dreidel, / give the gelt, / gather loved ones near. / Tell it again and marvel—‘A miracle happened here!’ ” Whimsical paintings full of swirls and curves in purples, blues, and greens complete the Judaic settings for each poem. Good, basic, and simple holiday reading. (index) (Easy reader/poetry. 5-8)