Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 8, 2015

Review

This is the 25th anniversary edition of this delightful holiday book and the only change or addition is an afterword from author Kimmel and publisher John Briggs remembering Trina Schart Hyman, the illustrator who brought the characters to life. This book is a fantastic Hanukkah book telling of Hershel of Ostropol and his vow to rid one town of its anti-Hanukkah demons. Hershel is clever and tenacious and he does outsmart those demons, the first of which are almost comical, while still being serious and a bit scary. The Demon King is a shadowy figure who is creepy without being overwhelmingly scary. A great story, gorgeous illustrations, a wonderful addition to any library's holiday collection or a nice replacement for a copy that is 25 years old and showing its age.

Overall Book Score: excellent