Beni the bear wakes up excited that this is the first day of Chanukah. After breakfast he and his sister help their parents prepare latkes and powdered donuts. Then they go out in the snow to play with some neighborhood squirrels, whom they invite to the evening’s festivities. Their relatives arrive and after lighting the menorah, there’s singing, and games, and presents, and storytelling by Grandpa Bear.

Zalben’s warm, detailed illustration and hospitable text tell a marvelous story of the first Chanukah that Benji will remember. ( )

Young bear helps mom make latkes, spin the dreidel, recite prayer

Leaves a lot to be desired. Cute, but little to no coverage of the meaning of Chanukah. More about the children playing and being with their non-Jewish friends than about the holiday, the family, or the rituals of the Jewish tradition. ( )

On the first morning of Chanukah, Beni the bear eagerly prepares for the evening's festivities. Then he and his squirrel friends spend a wonderful evening filled with love and joy. ( )