Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap

By Deborah Bodin Cohen and Shahar Kober

Hurrying home to celebrate Hanukkah, Engineer Ari screeches his train to a halt to avoid hitting a stubborn camel sitting on the tracks. The camel’s Bedouin owner invites Ari to his tent to await help, where the two have an impromptu Hanukkah celebration, and become friends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781512488616

Deborah Bodin Cohen

Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen is the author of many award-winning children's books including Papa Jethro and Nachshon Who Was Afraid to Swim. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children.

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Reviews for Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Engineer Ari returns in this third picture-book devoted to his holiday adventures, following upon Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride and Engineer Ari and the Sukkah Express. After doing some Hanukkah shopping in Jerusalem, he begins the train drive home to Jaffa, only to find himself stranded when he must unexpectedly brake in order to avoid hitting a camel on the tracks. His new Bedouin friend Kalil, owner of the camel, join him in an impromptu Hanukkah celebration as the two wait for aid to arrive...Like its predecessors, Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap pairs an engaging holiday story from American author and rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen with fun, colorful artwork from Israeli illustrator Shahar Kober. All of the books are set in Israel in the late 19th century, and reflect the opening of the first railway line in the country, running from Jaffa to Jerusalem, something discussed in more detail in the author's afterword. Some of the history and customs of Hanukkah - the revolt of the Maccabees, the playing with dreidels - are worked into the story here, as is the idea of friendship between Jews and Bedouins. I understand that Bedouins currently make up around 3.5% of the population of Israel proper, although I'm not sure what relations between the two communities were like in the 1890s. Whether historically accurate or not, I certainly like the idea of friendship across ethnic and religious lines. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for Hanukkah stories, and to fans of Engineer Ari and his adventures.