Maccabee!: The Story of Hanukkah
By Tilda Balsley and David Harrington
3.5/5
()
About this ebook
"Sometimes it only takes a few, who know what's right and do it, too."
Judah and the little army of Maccabees fight to free Jerusalem from the cruel King Antiochus in this vibrant and action-filled rhyming version of the famous Hanukkah story.
Tilda Balsley
Tilda Balsley has written many books for Kar-Ben, bringing her stories to life with rhyme, rhythm, and humor. Tilda lives with her husband and their rescue Shih Tzu in Reidsville, North Carolina.
Read more from Tilda Balsley
Let My People Go! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Count's Hanukkah Countdown Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grover and Big Bird's Passover Celebration Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Queen Who Saved Her People Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I'm Sorry, Grover: A Rosh Hashanah Tale Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLotsa Matzah Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Oh No, Jonah! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5ABC Passover Hunt Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Shalom Everybodeee!: Grover's Adventures in Israel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsABC Hanukkah Hunt Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It's a Mitzvah, Grover! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEight Is Great Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Maccabee!
Related ebooks
Maccabee!: The Story of Hanukkah Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In Our Image: God's First Creatures Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Secret Shofar of Barcelona Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEscape from Egypt Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBarnyard Purim Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sky and Sea Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Purim Surprise Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Story of Treasure Seekers (Illustrated) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIt's Sukkah Time! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sammy Spider's First Yom Kippur Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ziz and the Hanukkah Miracle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Child's Garden of Verses Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHeidi: Adapted for Young Readers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Tale of Two Seders Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hal and the New Kid: A Book about Making Friends Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStop, Drop, and Roll! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Story of the Greek People Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAlways an Olivia: A Remarkable Family History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Belling the Cat: A Retelling of Aesop's Fable Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy ABC Bible Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnimal Life Cycles: Frog Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAround the Passover Table Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSammy Spider's First Mitzvah Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Twelve Days of Summer Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Our Little Spanish Cousin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Kite Fighters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDinosaur Goes to Israel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bottling Tennessee: A Davy Crockett Tall Tale Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Children's Shakespeare Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Children's Holidays & Celebrations For You
Scary Stories 3 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Halloween: Scary Short Stories for Kids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little Blue Truck's Valentine Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Christmas Carol (Unabridged and Fully Illustrated) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amelia Bedelia Chapter Book #1: Amelia Bedelia Means Business Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Christmas Carol (Illustrated Edition): In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Egg Presents: The Great Eggscape!: An Easter And Springtime Book For Kids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Witch of Blackbird Pond: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Little House on the Prairie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frog and Toad: A Little Book of Big Thoughts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Berenstain Bears' Harvest Festival Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Night Before Christmas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Curious George Makes a Valentine Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cool Bean Presents: As Cool as It Gets Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everything You Need to Know When You Are 9 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Berenstain Bears Bless Our Gramps and Gran Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Thing at the Foot of the Bed and Other Scary Tales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sun Moon Star Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Twelfth Night Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Laugh-Out-Loud Awesome Jokes for Kids Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Frosty the Snowman Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Christmas Stories: Fun Christmas Stories for Kids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Curious George Christmas Countdown Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Berenstain Bears: God Loves You! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Best School Year Ever Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Berenstain Bears and the Christmas Angel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pete the Cat Falling for Autumn Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thanksgiving Jokes: Funny Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Maccabee!
5 ratings1 review
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The word that springs to mind in describing this book is energetic. The illustrations are vibrant, colorful, and bold. The text focuses on the historical events that originated the Hanukkah holiday. Mattathias and Judah, soon to be called Maccabee, are strong characters, with square jaws and intense emotional expressions. In fact, all of the people drawn in this book are cartoon-like in their simplified features and bright coloring, but it heightens their appeal. The text uses rhyming couplets to present a detailed account of how Maccabee came to be elected leader of the Jewish resistance, their defiance of King Antioch, and the eventual rebuilding of the temple along with the miracle of the long-lasting oil. I am not always fond of the use of rhyming couplets in children's books, simply because it is done poorly and sacrifices any internal rhythm of the sentences to force a rhyme; however, the stanzas in this book are well done, on the whole. When read aloud, most of the story has a nice flow, with just a few passages where the text is awkward. Adding to the force of the narrative is the triumphant tone of the book, as the author clearly relishes this historical account of bravery and success for Jewish people. An epilogue, consisting of two pages, connects the historical events to modern celebrations of Hanukkah. The illustrations show a family celebrating with Maccabee, and the words pose the question of how Judah would react to the celebration of his accomplishments and the miracle from long ago (happily, of course). The last page of the book provides a factual summary of why Hanukkah is celebrated and a description of some traditional practices associated with the holiday. For readers wanting a more detailed account of the historical events behind Hanukkah, this is an excellent choice. Instead of focusing on the religious implications of the story, it is more concerned with the cultural heritage invested in the holiday, but it does present the miracle and connect the celebration to religious freedom. I consider this a great book to round out a study of Hanukkah, by painting a complete picture of the historical events and depicting the pride Jewish people bear for their culture.