Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas

by Pamela Ehrenberg, Anjan Sarkar (Illustrator)

In this sweet and humorous picture book, Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas , a multi-cultural family (Mom's Indian; Dad's Jewish) celebrate Hanukkah while incorporating traditional Indian food.

Instead of latkes, this family celebrates Hanukkah with tasty Indian dosas. To her brother's chagrin, little Sadie won't stop climbing on everything both at home and at the Indian grocery store, even while preparing the dosas. As the family puts the finishing touches on their holiday preparations, they accidentally get locked out of the house. Sadie and her climbing skills just may be exactly what is needed to save the day.

Genres: Picture Books, Jewish, Holiday, Cultural, Childrens, Food, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2017

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

What should've been a great picture book about the blending of traditions is actually more of a trainwreck featuring useless adults, zero logic... and a couple of yummy-looking recipes. Okay, I'll give it that.

The premise is flawed from the beginning. The narrator can't stand that his little sister is a climber. Hello?! She's a toddler. Some of them climb. But this kid takes it totally personally, like she's doing it with the sole purpose of ruining his life. Worse, though, is how the adults react to this climbing. When Sadie's putting herself in dangerous positions (climbing displays in the grocery store, or climbing onto the kitchen counter right beside the blazing cooktop), the adults just stand around like a bunch of morons. The extent of their involvement is telling her to get down. And when that doesn't work, they just stand there staring at her, leaving it up to the narrator to talk her down with a song. She's a freaking toddler. If she's about to climb onto the gas cooktop, you grab her and remove her from the area. Honestly.

And Sadie, somehow too stupid to understand a command like, "Get down!" eventually saves the day by crawling in the window after the family gets locked out of the house and somehow unlocking the door. The problem here (just one of many in this book) is that she's drawn to be so small that it's obvious she wouldn't have been able to reach the doorknob at all. (The grandmother was upstairs taking a nap, so Sadie could've gone to wake her up. That would've been more realistic, but then the book wouldn't have had the children unrealistically saving the day while the useless adults just stood around wringing their hands.)

At the end of the book there are a couple of recipes that look very tasty. But that's probably the only thing about this book that's worthwhile. What could've been a story about blending traditions instead turned into an expose of terrible parenting. At one point, the narrator mentioned that he was surprised their house was still standing after an afternoon of Sadie being in it. Far more surprising to me is the fact that Sadie's even still alive, given her proclivity for getting into dangerous situations and all the adults in her life just being completely useless about it.

[Ms. Jeane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVED so many things about this book! Very multicultural, showing not just mixed race kids, but mixed cultured kids too! I loved the aspect of this book! but... the story was a little bit confusing and long, so I really wanted to LOVE this book (and I certainly LOVED parts of it) but it was a little meh in other parts.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet illustrations and a nice representation of a biracial family. At times, it feels like it is stretching a bit to make sure to define elements of the family's Indian and Jewish traditions, but my 3-year-old really enjoyed the book.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's Hanukkah but there won't be latkes on our narrator's family table. Mom is Indian, dad is Jewish American, and instead of latkes, there be wonderful dosas. First, there's a trip to the Indian store to buy everything, but the narrator's little sister Sadie loves to climb and next thing they know, she's climbed up a display of coconut milk cans. Her brother gets her down by singing the dreidel song with a made up twist - "I have a little dosa, I made it out of dal" - and down Sadie comes. It's a good thing because after all the dosas are prepared for the first night of Hanukkah, the family accidentally gets locked out when the rest of the family arrives and they have to rely on getting Sadie through an open window to unlock the door. But then Sadie refuses to climb down from the table to do it until her brother finishes his made up dreidel/dosa song. Luckily, all works out and the family's celebrations is saved. The illustrations are fun, and there are bits of the Hanukkah story throughout, though it does presume young readers already know the story and are familiar with Hanukkah. This is a nice family story showing how diverse family's can celebrate religious holidays by incorporating different cultural traditions into the holiday without losing the original meaning. A real bonus: there's a recipe for dosas and sambar at the end of the book.

[Margaret Klein · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great young children's book to reflect the diversity of the American Jewish community. Imagine going to Hebrew School and then going to the Little India Market to pick up supplies for Hanukkah. Imagine not making latkes but making dosas? Imagine having a little sister who climbs everywhere...maybe too much, annoying the big brother narrator. He sings: "I had a little dosa, I made it out of dal." See how this little sister saves Hanukkah. It is not a perfect book. But it works to introduce many of these themes. Try the recipes in the back of the book.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part about this book is the multi-cultural family - a white Jewish father and an Indian (from India) mother <3 <3 <3 I love that!! And I loved how they mixed their family in their Hanukkah celebration with Jewish food and Indian food. How great!

[Marjorie Ingall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I desperately wanted to love this. I adore the title! And the idea of a multicultural Indian-Jewish Hanukah celebration! Alas, the execution was lacking -- stilted and overlong storytelling, static art.

It's lovely that the back matter includes a recipe for dosas? (I'm trying here.)

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our review today is the festive and fun Queen Of The Hanukkah Dosas, written by Pamela Ehrenberg and illustrated by Anjan Sarkar.

A young boy is concerned about his family’s tradition. See, every year, his mixed-race family blends their traditions together, making Indian dosas to celebrate Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. But this year, he is worried that his toddler-aged sister Sadie, who has recently taken up a major interesting in climbing, will ruin everything. He voices his concerns to his mom, his dad, his Amma-Amma, but no one seems to take it too seriously. Then just as the boy predicted, Sadie creates a ruckus at the Indian market by climbing a tower of caned coconut milk. Thinking quickly, the boy makes up a ditty to the tune of the Dreidel Song: “I had a little dosa, I made it out of dal”. This delights Sadie, and she agrees to come down. Again and again, as the family makes the dosas together over the next two days, the boy uses his special song to help keep Sadie away from the dosas and out of harm’s way. That is until the whole family accidentally get locked out of the house – with the dosas still cooking! Suddenly, Sadie’s climbing may be their only hope – and the boy’s song be the best chance of helping.

Adorable. A wonderfully unique story and characters, an entertaining and engaging plot, and a lovely depiction of two cultures coming together with one family. The art is colorful, with friendly-faces characters yet fine attention to detail where the cooking and Hanukkah celebrations are concerned. There’s even recipes for dosas and sambar in the back. The length is perfect, JJ and I loved it, and we definitely recommend it. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the narrator finds his little sister Sadie's need to climb on everything in sight annoying, he is grateful for that ability when it comes in handy after the family is locked out of their house on Hanukkah. Although the way he learns to coax her down with a song is sweet, part of this picture book's appeal comes from the fact that the family is combining several traditions as they celebrate the Jewish holiday with delicious Indian food, in honor of his father and mother, respectively. The simple text and colorful illustrations provide glimpses into these two different worlds through the foods and clothing that are featured. There's even a scene that shows how the rice and dal needed for dosas are ground up. Readers may feel as though they can smell and taste the delicious foods the family is ready to eat, and just in case they might want to coax someone to make a similar meal, there is a recipe for dosas and one for sambar.The end papers feature various ingredients for these foods. This is a yummy way to learn about an important part of one family's cultural traditions. Some parents and teachers might want to add it to their libraries so that young readers are able to see their own experiences mirrored in its pages while others have the chance to note how bits of various cultures can peacefully coexist in one household.

[Ember Air · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful story focusing on the relationship between a brother and his younger sister, and on the blending of a mixed family - truly beautiful! The family in this story celebrates Hanukkah, but instead of making latkes, they make Dosas which remind their mother of her childhood in India. Little sister is very ornery and like s to climb on everything, so big brother has to learn to accept that things are different, and find joy in them anyways. Very cute!

[Jocelyn Boop]

Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because it tells a great story about a pesky little sister whose climbing skills come in handy when the family gets locked out of their house.

What I liked about the book:
I liked this book because it describes the traditions of a family that celebrates Hanukkah in a unique way.

How I would use this book in a future classroom:
I would use this book when during a unit about how people celebrate holidays.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first grader, who knew very little about either Hanukkah or Indian cuisine, loved this book. Particularly the "sneaky little sister" climbing all over everything and how she saves the day. A great way for me to discuss with her how families can combine different traditions and cultures into one happy blend.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was a cute story about a multicultural family's multicultural celebration. The plot is a little circuitous but anyone with a younger sibling or a penchant for locking themselves out of the house will find this cute. There are even recipes in the back for dosas and their dipping sauce. I wish there was maybe some bibliographic information about how the author came to this story.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy is worried that his little sister's climbing will spoil the first night of Hanukkah, when his family combines his father's Jewish traditions with his mother's East Indian cooking. I love Indian food and this story made my mouth water.

Lovely pictures by Anjan Sarkar

This story is one that exemplifies how the United States continues to be a true melting pot.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're an Indian-Jewish girl like the narrator, it makes perfect sense to fry dosas (little stuffed fritters) in oil instead of potato pancakes for Hanukkah. That's a no brainer. The problem is having a little sister who wants to climb on everything and gets in the way. But could her climbing come in handy sometime?

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A multicultural family (Jewish and Indian) celebrates Hanukkah by making dosas. The toddler sister is always climbing on everything and getting in the way, but her big sister finds that she can calm her down by singing to her. Then when the famly gets locked out of the house WHILE the dosas are cooking, the children might just have a solution.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this silly and family orientated book about a jewish Indian family getting ready for Hanukkah and the brother who is excerpted with his younger sister who won't stop climbing things. Elementary and up

[Courtney Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading this I did not know much about Hanukkah but it taught me a lot. Looking at different families' traditions is always great and can make you more culturally aware. I think this is great to show that not everyone celebrates Christmas!

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

An annoying-younger-sibling-manages-to-help story based in a unique cross-cultural (Indian and Jewish) family.

Also, the big brother has a unique way of dealing with annoying younger sister (by singing a song he makes up to the tune of the Dreidel song).

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about a Jewish and Indian family celebrating Hanukkah with an Indian dish. I don't like the idea of sending a toddler into a hot kitchen when everyone else is locked outside. But I did think it was a sweet sibling story about learning how to be a good big brother.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really happy about the increase in picture books that highlight multi-cultural Jewish identity and traditions over the last several years, of which, this is one. The story doesn't wow me but it gets extra stars for the representation.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the multiculturalism, but it's too dangerous to let a toddler climb everywhere. Dad's line at the end about Judah Maccabee's big brother is lost on me and will be on the majority of readers, if it's even revelatory of a theme.

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shows how an Indian-Jewish family celebrates their family/religious traditions.

From advance reader copy.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many ways to use this multi-cultural holiday book with youngsters (be sure to include the endpapers!).
Colorful illustrations support the text and give readers much to discuss.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun new Hanukkah story with a fabulous blend of Jewish and Indian traditions.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the diversity of the family how they celebrate both Hebrew and Indian cultures during Hanukkah. The overall story could have been better though.

[J. Bryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kid's book about a little Jewish-Indian child and his troublesome sister, as they prepare for a Hanukkah feast with their Amma-Amma.

[Alison Criner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish the book had given more background. I had to look up dosas and I wanted the story to explain how the mom had the tradition of making dosas for Hanukkah

[Denicemarcell]

turn an annoying talent into a valued skill

[Shimista · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute! especially for climbing toddlers