All-Of-A-Kind Family Hanukkah

All-Of-A-Kind Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky, 2018.

This picture book was based on the All-Of-A-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor, about a Jewish family in New York during the early 20th century.

It’s the day of the first night of Hanukkah in 1912, and the girls are excited about the celebration that evening. They’re looking forward to the latkes (potato pancakes) with applesauce and lighting the candles in the menorah. Gertie and her sister Sarah discuss what will happen and its significance for the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days and nights.

All of the sisters in this family of five girls have something to do to help get ready. Charlotte is six years old, and she is helping to peel potatoes. Sarah is eight years old, and she is grating potatoes. Henny, the ten-year-old, is chopping onions. Ella, who is twelve years old and helping with the mixing and frying, picks Gertie up to show her what they’re doing. However, Gertie is only four years old, and she isn’t allowed to help with anything. The girls’ mother thinks that she’s too young and likely to get hurt by something sharp or burned by the cooking oil, so she can’t even stay close to watch.

Gertie’s mother and sisters tell her that she should just go play or look at a book until everything is ready, but Gertie is offended because she wants to help, like everyone else. When she has a temper tantrum about it, her mother sends her to the room she shares with her sisters.

It sounds like everyone else is having fun as they get ready for the celebration, and Gertie, who is hiding under her bed, feels even more left out. It seems like nobody even misses her.

Then, Gertie’s father comes looking for her. He has something she can do to help: she can be the one to help light the menorah. At last, Gertie feels like she’s really part of the celebration!

My Reaction

I’m not Jewish and didn’t grow up reading the All-Of-A-Kind Family series. I became interested in the series later while researching vintage and nostalgic children’s books, and I think it’s charmingly old-fashioned. The original books in the series are chapter books, but I think this picture book does a great job of capturing the old-fashioned charm and family dynamics of the original books.

I was also the youngest child of my generation in my family when I was growing up, and I also know what it’s like to feel like everyone is older than you and allowed to do things you can’t and how nobody else seems to understand how it feels. One of Gertie’s sisters says that she’s lucky because all of the things they’re doing to make the latkes are chores, and Gertie doesn’t have to do the work they’re doing to enjoy the treat. Cutting onions certainly isn’t pleasant. However, the work isn’t really the point. What Gertie really wants is that feeling of inclusion, being a part of the family celebration, just like all of her sisters. When it seems like she can’t do anything to help, she feels shut out of something important.

When the other girls and their mother start singing while they work, I thought maybe the girls’ mother should have given her the task of choosing their work songs and leading them in the singing. I suppose she could also have found some other small chore for her, like fetching silverware or handing her sisters potatoes and onions as they chop them or wiping up messes. The mother just seems like she’s too busy to even think of anything Gertie could do. Fortunately, her father helps by finding something that she can do with everyone else, and that gives her the feeling of inclusion that she really wants.