This Hanukkah paperback and finger puppet set is adorable! It is brand new and in very good condition! One of the finger puppets does have some loose thread on it. When I purchased the puppets, it was the last set they had at the store, and they were too cute to pass up. I figured I could repair the loose threads, but I never quite got around to it. I am sure it wouldnt be that difficult to do. I have enclosed close up pictures of this. This set is clean and comes from a smoke free home.
The book measures 8" x 10". The author is Abby Levine, and the illustrator is Paige Billin-Frye. The copyright is 2008, and the publisher is Scholastic. The following is a synopsis of the plot of the book.: Max and his family celebrate the 8 nights of Hanukkah, and the preparations are underway. Max and his little sister, Ruth, are getting ready for the celebration. Maxfinds the dreidel and takes the menorah down from the shelf and shines and polishes it. He helps Ruth pick out the colorful candles, as Mom prepares food. The blessing is said, everyone lights the candles, the family exchanges gifts with one another, and then they welcome other relatives. They proceed to participate in a wide variety of traditional activities, including playing the dreidel game, singing songs, eating latkes, and listening to Grandpa read the story of Hanukkah. As the holiday ends, Max returns his dreidel, to the drawer, to await next years festivities. The artwork in this book has a cozy feel and is large enough for story hour sharing. In the back, of this book, is a list of Hanukkah vocabulary with pronunciations and definitions.
This book is great for teaching/reinforcing rhyming, as it is a simple introduction to the Festival of Lights, told in rhymed couplets that will appeal to children. And, the brightly colored, full page pictures illustrate the rhyme in an appealing and child-friendly way.
The set of 4 Hanukkah finger puppets consist of a dreidel, menorah,candle, and gelt. I purchased it in 2004. The puppets are 2.5"-3.5" tall and 3.5"-4.25" wide. The opening, on the puppets, is 1" wide. The menorah has a "tush" tag on it that says this set was made in China for Rite Lite Ltd.When I purchased these, they were attached to a piece of cardboard. Though they were removed from the cardboard, they have never been used, so I consider themnew. All of the puppets have embroidered facial features and stitching, on the hands, to designate individual fingers. I like that half of the puppets represent boys (gelt and dreidel)and the other 2 represent girls (menorah and Hanukkah candle).
The gelt puppet has a yellow face and hands, purple arms, and a white band at the bottom. "Chanukah Gelt" is embroidered, along with dollar signs, in glittering gold, on the face of the coin. There are also glittery, gold, embroidered lines around the out side of thegelt. The eyebrows and chin line are black, the nose is purple, the mouth is white, and the eyes are white with black pupils that have a dot of white in the center. The eyes, nose, and mouth are all outlined in black.
The dreidel puppet is yellow, green and purple. It has orange arms, white hands, blue fuzzy hair, a red stuffed crown, and a white band at the bottom. The eyebrows and chin line are black, the mouth is white, the nose is orange, and the eyes are white with black pupils that have a dot of white in the center. The eyes and mouth are outlined in black.
The menorah puppet is blue with red embroidered curved lines to represent thebranches of the menorah. At the top of those lines, there are red embroidered circles to represent the candles. The light blue, embroidered, horizontal lines, on top of the red circles, represent the flames. At the top, of the menorah, is a rectangular piece of red felt with a light blue, embroidered horizontal line. This represents the lit shamash candle. The arms, on the menorah, are red and the hands are white. There is a blue stuffed rim at the bottom of this puppet. The eyebrows, eyelashes, mouth, and chin line are black, and the nose is red. The eyelids are light blue, and the eyes arewhite with black pupils that have a dot of white in the center. The eyes are outlined in black.
The Hanukkah candle puppethas dark blue, light blue, and white stripes on it. The light blue and dark blue stripes are embroidered and are outlined in black stitching. The white stripes are just the materialfrom which themain body of the puppet is made. This guy has orange arms, white hands, and a yellow felt flame. In the middleof the flame is orange embroidery with a black embroidered line in thecenter of it. The eyebrows, eyelashes, and chin line are black, the nose is orange, and the mouth is white. The eyelids are light blue, and the eyes arewhite with black pupils that have a dot of white in the center. The eyes and mouth are outlined in black.
The finger puppet set is rare and very hard to find! I have only seen 1 other currently selling online!
This set would make a wonderful addition to a daycare, preschool, or kindergarten classroom! It would also be nice to have in a household, with young children, that celebrates Hanukkah! It might also be a good Hanukkah gift for a little one! I amhoping to find this set a good home.
