Celia Gurevitch Jewish Community Library

One of the most melancholic children books I ever read was Eileen Bluestone Sherman‘s The odd potato: A Chanukah story. On the second page we learn that the Rachel, the young heroine’s mother has died 18 months earlier and ever since then her father has been depressed. Even the illustration, by Katherine Kahn, shows a man sunk into his armchair, looking unenergetic. The rest of the story revolves around Rachel getting an odd looking potato and turning it into a hannukiah, because she did not find the family menorah, cherished by her mother. By the end, this simple act, finding the beauty and utilizing a simple object to bring light to her home, Rachel manages to cheer up her father as well.

You can read the details about the history of the book, how it was first developed for an Emmy winning TV show, than a storybook, how it turned into a musical, eventually produced on Broadway and since 2005 you can even buy the album of the music. I personally found it a bit bleak, as the children, including Rachel’s younger brother, all looked and sounded sad. Once I learned that it is based on true events that happened during the Great depression, I understood why. Ultimately it is a heartwarming story with a lesson, but because of the subject matter it may not be suitable for the youngest of children.