Edwards, Michelle. Papa's Latkes. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2004.
Papa’s Latkes is the story of a family’s first Chanukah without their mother. With beautiful oil and acrylic painted illustrations, Edwards shares the story of carrying on with traditions and coping with loss when Papa attempts to make latkes, a job that Mama had always done, on the first Chanukah celebration without her. Through remembering and maintaining tradition, this book shows the struggles of continuing life at hard times with the loss of a loved one.
Papa’s Latkes is the story of a family’s first Chanukah without their mother. With beautiful oil and acrylic painted illustrations, Edwards shares the story of carrying on with traditions and coping with loss when Papa attempts to make latkes, a job that Mama had always done, on the first Chanukah celebration without her. Through remembering and maintaining tradition, this book shows the struggles of continuing life at hard times with the loss of a loved one.
Although this is not the average Chanukah story explaining the holiday to its readers, this story reaches out to not only the Jewish American audience. Although it is based around Chanukah and making Latkes, the story touches on a deeper level trying to cope with loss and carry on traditions when a family member has passed. I think this is a quality piece of Jewish American Literature because the story does more than teach. Through the preparations and celebration of the first night of Chanukah, Jewish children can relate and outsiders can get a feel for what goes on as someone celebrates this well known holiday.
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