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The Magic Dreidels: A Hanukkah Story
While everyone else in the house prepares for Hanukkah, Jacob wants nothing but to play with his new brass dreidel. When he is sent to fetch water, he accidentally sends his dreidel into the well. Little does Jacob know that a good-willed, if mischievous, goblin lives at the bottom of the well, and that he will then receive a few special gifts. This re-telling of the old tale "The Tablecloth, the Donkey, and the Stick" in a Hanukkah setting shows that sometimes honest boys don't need magic dreidels to spin some magic of their own!
Katya Krenina's illustrations evoke the liveliness of the holiday as well as the rustic settings of Jacob and his family. She brings subtle warmth into the winter season, even stripping a fantastical goblin of any eeriness that might be associated with it. Eric Kimmel's clean, clear writing makes The Magic Dreidels a wonderful selection for bedtime stories as the days get shorter.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
Eric A. Kimmel
145 books113 followersEric A. Kimmel is an American author of more than 150 children's books. His works include Caldecott Honor Book Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman), Sydney Taylor Book Award winners The Chanukkah Guest and Gershon's Monster, and Simon and the Bear: A Hanukkah Tale.
Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, New York and earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Lafayette College in 1967, a master's degree from New York University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois in 1973. He taught at Indiana University at South Bend, and at Portland State University, where he is Professor Emeritus of Education.
Kimmel lives with his wife, Doris, in Portland, Oregon.
Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, New York and earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Lafayette College in 1967, a master's degree from New York University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois in 1973. He taught at Indiana University at South Bend, and at Portland State University, where he is Professor Emeritus of Education.
Kimmel lives with his wife, Doris, in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 9, 2018
"The Magic Dreidels" is another of my favorite Hanukkah picture books from childhood. What's not to like--goblins, a nosy neighbor, and magic dreidels aplenty!
Many reviews on GR have applied modern standards to this folktale and bashed it, to which I say, pah! The main character, Jacob, is a foolish boy who surely belongs in Chelm, but the reader is entertained by his failings. Yes, in the end, Jacob gets to keep the magic dreidels, the gelt and latkes from which he gives to his family in repentance for his laziness during Hanukkah preparations. And he puts greedy Fruma Sarah in her place. So perhaps the moral is to grow wiser from one's mistakes. How is that not a valuable lesson in any decade?
Many reviews on GR have applied modern standards to this folktale and bashed it, to which I say, pah! The main character, Jacob, is a foolish boy who surely belongs in Chelm, but the reader is entertained by his failings. Yes, in the end, Jacob gets to keep the magic dreidels, the gelt and latkes from which he gives to his family in repentance for his laziness during Hanukkah preparations. And he puts greedy Fruma Sarah in her place. So perhaps the moral is to grow wiser from one's mistakes. How is that not a valuable lesson in any decade?
December 15, 2017
When a boy loses his new dreidel down the bottom of a well, the goblin who lives there gives him a magical replacement. But when the boy's neighbor cheats him twice, the goblin helps again.
An imaginative take on an old folktale, and, interestingly enough, a story I first encountered in March of this year when I read Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk.
An imaginative take on an old folktale, and, interestingly enough, a story I first encountered in March of this year when I read Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk.
November 16, 2018
Eric A. Kimmel - whose
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
is one of my favorite tales for this time of year - takes the folk-tale of The Tablecloth, the Donkey and the Stick, and reclothes it in Hanukkah garb in The Magic Dreidels. When Jacob brings his new brass dreidel with him, while fetching water, his careless playing results in the beautiful top falling into a well. The resident goblin, unable to restore it to him, instead gives him a magical wooden dreidel that spins out latkes. Hurrying home to show this wonder to his family, Jacob is waylaid by a deceitful neighbor, Fruma Sarah, who secretly exchanges his magical dreidel for an ordinary one, while pretending to clean it. A second trip to the well produces another magical dreidel, which spins out Hanukkah gelt, but this too is stolen by Fruma Sarah. It is only on his third trip to the well, that Jacob learns of his neighbor's deception, and receiving a different kind of magical dreidel, sets out to teach her a lesson...
The "three magic gifts" tale-type - number 563 in the Aarne-Thompson folklore classification system - can be found in many traditions, from the German fairy-tales of the Brothers Grimm, to the Norwegian folk collection of Asbjørnsen and Moe. This Jewish variant, although not originally a Hanukkah story, works very well in its holiday setting, making it an engaging and magical selection, perfect for the season. Katya Krenina - who also worked on Eric A. Kimmel's The Birds' Gift: A Ukrainian Easter Story - captures the enchantment of the story with her gorgeous illustrations, which make good use of both color and light. I particularly liked her depiction of the goblin, who has almost the look of a water sprite, or a mer-man. Young folklore enthusiasts who enjoy fantastic tales will particularly appreciate this Hanukkah selection, I think.
The "three magic gifts" tale-type - number 563 in the Aarne-Thompson folklore classification system - can be found in many traditions, from the German fairy-tales of the Brothers Grimm, to the Norwegian folk collection of Asbjørnsen and Moe. This Jewish variant, although not originally a Hanukkah story, works very well in its holiday setting, making it an engaging and magical selection, perfect for the season. Katya Krenina - who also worked on Eric A. Kimmel's The Birds' Gift: A Ukrainian Easter Story - captures the enchantment of the story with her gorgeous illustrations, which make good use of both color and light. I particularly liked her depiction of the goblin, who has almost the look of a water sprite, or a mer-man. Young folklore enthusiasts who enjoy fantastic tales will particularly appreciate this Hanukkah selection, I think.
June 19, 2020
Another fun adaptation of a traditional folktale. This is more familiar as "The Tablecloth, the Donkey, and the Stick" according to the author's note. The illustrations are simultaneously artistically interesting and appealing.
openlibrary.org
openlibrary.org
December 3, 2011
This is a fun and magical story about Hanukkah. Throughout the story, a little boy, Jacob, seems to get into a bit of trouble because of his youthful naivety and his love of playing with his dreidel. Jacob receives gifts of magical dreidels from a goblin in his well, but he is tricked by a greedy neighbor and loses them. The goblin comes through for him one last time and the ending is happy and all is forgiven. The illustrations are very colorful and expressive and it was interesting to see a goblin with a fish tale. We enjoyed reading this story together.
December 7, 2018
Eric A. Kimmel's "The Magic Dreidels: A Hanukkah Story," actually caught my eye by its Marc Chagall-like illustrations by Katya Krenina which gave the story an Isaac Beshevis Singer sort of story.
The story begins with everyone in Jacob's family working and preparing for Hanukkah, all except Jacob who sits alone at a table "playing with his new brass dreidel."
Finally Jacob's mother has a job for him to do. She asks Jacob to "go to the well and bring back water." On the way Jacob's new brass dreidel falls into the well. Upon unsuccessfully trying to obtain his brass dreidel Jacob meets a goblin who gives him a "wooden dreidel" which supposedly gives out latkes for each spin. The problem is that on his way home Jacob is stopped by the home of Fruma Sarah, who exchanges that new dreidel with one of her old ones. Upon returning home Jacob tells his mother of the dreidel that the dragon had given him. Of course this time the dreidel does not spit out the latkes, plus, Jacob had forgotten to bring home the water.
So, once again Jacob is sent back to the well to get the water. His mother tells him to hurry. This happens two more times. Each time Jacob gets home the new dreidels do not work as they should. On another occasion Jacob's mother tells him how to deal with Fruma Sarah. This time the dreidel magic works....Everyone is happy, I guess that is the miracle....So, in Kimmel's book a Hanukkah Miracle was celebrated.
My one comment is that they never show Jacob bringing home that water his mother had sent him to get. I would have liked Kimmel to tell us whether Jacob ever brought back the water when everything finally works out. I would have liked to see how that one point was resolved, and for Jacob to get credit for finally bringing home the water....otherwise the one request to get the water seems a little out of place.
Overall, the illustrations in Kimmel's books gives me the feeling that I'm in a Chagall painting in Europe in the winter...And in the end a Miracle does occur. There is also some element of a fairy-tale, possibly on the basis of "Jack And the Beanstalk."
A wonderful book for children ages 4-95.
Highly recommended.
Laura Cobrinik,
Boonton Township, NJ
The story begins with everyone in Jacob's family working and preparing for Hanukkah, all except Jacob who sits alone at a table "playing with his new brass dreidel."
Finally Jacob's mother has a job for him to do. She asks Jacob to "go to the well and bring back water." On the way Jacob's new brass dreidel falls into the well. Upon unsuccessfully trying to obtain his brass dreidel Jacob meets a goblin who gives him a "wooden dreidel" which supposedly gives out latkes for each spin. The problem is that on his way home Jacob is stopped by the home of Fruma Sarah, who exchanges that new dreidel with one of her old ones. Upon returning home Jacob tells his mother of the dreidel that the dragon had given him. Of course this time the dreidel does not spit out the latkes, plus, Jacob had forgotten to bring home the water.
So, once again Jacob is sent back to the well to get the water. His mother tells him to hurry. This happens two more times. Each time Jacob gets home the new dreidels do not work as they should. On another occasion Jacob's mother tells him how to deal with Fruma Sarah. This time the dreidel magic works....Everyone is happy, I guess that is the miracle....So, in Kimmel's book a Hanukkah Miracle was celebrated.
My one comment is that they never show Jacob bringing home that water his mother had sent him to get. I would have liked Kimmel to tell us whether Jacob ever brought back the water when everything finally works out. I would have liked to see how that one point was resolved, and for Jacob to get credit for finally bringing home the water....otherwise the one request to get the water seems a little out of place.
Overall, the illustrations in Kimmel's books gives me the feeling that I'm in a Chagall painting in Europe in the winter...And in the end a Miracle does occur. There is also some element of a fairy-tale, possibly on the basis of "Jack And the Beanstalk."
A wonderful book for children ages 4-95.
Highly recommended.
Laura Cobrinik,
Boonton Township, NJ
December 22, 2017
A teacher wanted a Hunukkah picture book, and librarians recommended this above all others. Yikes. I have to say that I hated much of it, but there was enough to like to make this a solid 1.5 stars. Bear in mind that I am not Jewish, and the cultural norms and values are perhaps different from my own, so to be fair, I will again point out that this is highly recommended by librarians.
As for my experience... The protagonist is happily-ever-after rewarded for rudeness, laziness, and foolishness. There is a neighbor who preys on this child's ignorance and is not punished but rather respected "as is." I both hated and admired this--my gut instinct wanted her shunned for stealing from children, so to see the family breaking bread with her and including her in their home despite her faults, bothered me. But then I realized that this is probably a better message and value than my own, and kudos to this author or the community of people who share this fairy tale/folk tale to their kids for showing that people do mean things sometimes, and we are all equally welcome at the table.
The boy's rotten behavior of demanding and only receiving from this generous little goblin who passed no judgement upon him or wanted to correct him literally made me feel icky, so I can't say that I liked the book, but I see its value in teaching better principles than my own. I do see that he became an unconditional giver at the end, so his behavior (uncorrected) in the beginning didn't necessarily indicate a flawed character, but a moment in time of the life of a constantly developing person. Okay...I like the book better now that I've really thought about it. 2 stars.
As for my experience... The protagonist is happily-ever-after rewarded for rudeness, laziness, and foolishness. There is a neighbor who preys on this child's ignorance and is not punished but rather respected "as is." I both hated and admired this--my gut instinct wanted her shunned for stealing from children, so to see the family breaking bread with her and including her in their home despite her faults, bothered me. But then I realized that this is probably a better message and value than my own, and kudos to this author or the community of people who share this fairy tale/folk tale to their kids for showing that people do mean things sometimes, and we are all equally welcome at the table.
The boy's rotten behavior of demanding and only receiving from this generous little goblin who passed no judgement upon him or wanted to correct him literally made me feel icky, so I can't say that I liked the book, but I see its value in teaching better principles than my own. I do see that he became an unconditional giver at the end, so his behavior (uncorrected) in the beginning didn't necessarily indicate a flawed character, but a moment in time of the life of a constantly developing person. Okay...I like the book better now that I've really thought about it. 2 stars.
March 11, 2019
This was a very cute story full of Hanukkah traditions! The artwork was engaging and made me nostalgic for old fairy tales; while the story itself feels like it stepped right out of my bubbie's mouth. This is a great read anytime, as the story is fast paced and fun; as well as being good for both people wanting to learn about Hanukkah , and those who celebrate it regularly.
December 22, 2023
I picked it up at the train station. I learned about the Hanukkah old tale of 'The Tablecloth, the Donkey, and the Stick'. Dreidels, latkes, a goblin and Hanukkah gelt. At least I know a bit now about the Hanukkah old tale.
March 25, 2018
A re-telling of a traditional Hanukkah story.
March 3, 2020
This book gives us a great look into Jewish culture. However, I did not enjoy the lady stealing from a kid. I think this could be a good read aloud depending on the audience.
December 15, 2020
I thought it was quite nice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2022
Kait was so annoyed that Jacob didn’t catch on to what Sarah was doing.
January 21, 2026
Very fun, whimsical book that still tells the story of the importance of Hanukkah
December 12, 2023
Eric Kimmel often bases his books on folktales. In this retelling, a young boy is given enchanted items. when he is fooled and they are replaced with ordinary ones, his parents think that he is telling tales. This is a great story to share with the littleones at Hanukkah. Everyone is happy at the end, even the theif!
February 7, 2016
Asher likes this song on the BNL Christmas album called "I Have a Little Dreidel" and kept asking me what a dreidel was. So we got this book so he could see what a dreidel was. Back to the book, it's a cute little story about a little boy who keeps getting magic dreidels from the goblin at the bottom of the well. But the town busybody keeps tricking him out of them. In the end, all is set right.
Okay illustrations.
Okay illustrations.
December 3, 2009
A kid-pleasing Hanukkah book. When Jacob loses his dreidel in the well, he meets a goblin who provides him with a magic dreidel. A dreidel that dispenses hot, tasty latkes! But look out for the tricky town busybody. Fun for kids of all ages.
December 18, 2013
This is a fun little Hanukkah Story! It is based on a the "The Table Cloth the Donkey and the Stick " which I haven't read but sounds like a fun story that can be modified for a fun, Hanukkah story. Very fun!
April 1, 2016
Jacob was having to much fun playing with his new dreidel to help the family get ready for Hanukkah. When he is sent to the well to get water he meets a goblin who gives him magic dreidels. His neighbor Fruma Sarah tricks him out of them, but in the end he gets his revenge.
December 9, 2009
Claire LOVED this book when she read it at school!
Read
April 21, 2010This is a story about dreidels. This is a good book to use if you are talking about holidays in your classroom.
April 13, 2011
An adventurous story about magic dreidels, what happens when they are used. Cute to read when introducing Hanukkah.
December 13, 2015
The main character essentially gets rewarded twice over for being lazy, brattish, demanding, and stupid. It is horrifying.
December 3, 2013
This is my favorite Hanukkah picture book. The story is wonderful and the illustrations are terrific.
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December 31, 2013AR Quiz No. 148354 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 2.7 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 2.7 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP
December 22, 2014
An engaging book with fanciful illustrations celebrating tradition and family.
July 31, 2015
Uniquely illustrated fable, cute story, directions for how to play the dreidel game on the back cover.
December 29, 2014
Good little story with magic, not too long. My kids enjoyed it. Does not explain Hanukkah at all.
December 11, 2015
Excellent read aloud to students;.
January 4, 2017
#social studies #religion
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews