Kid Review: Mendel’s Hanukkah Mess Up by Chana Stiefel

Mendel’s Hanukkah Mess Up’ by Chana and Larry Stiefel, illustrated by Daphna Awadish, tells the story of a boy named Mendel who can’t seem to get anything right when it comes to celebrating his favorite holiday—Hanukkah. He loves the food, the gifts, the candles, and the miracle of the oil that the holiday is all about, but despite all of this, he has some Amelia Bedelia type moments in which he makes silly mistakes that seemingly ruin the holiday. He used more onions than potatoes in the latkes one year, in another he used sparklers instead of candles in the menorah, and one time he even left a tray of food on the rabbi’s chair.

Mendel is happy to stay on the outskirts of the holiday, celebrating but not fully participating, lest he make any more mistakes. However, when Rabbi Klein asks him to drive the Mitzvah Mobile, he does it, but not without first wondering why Rabbi Klein feels he’s worthy of such an important task.

As Mendel goes through his day driving the Mitzvah Mobile, problems occur, and he has to find a way to solve them in order to spread the joy of the holiday of Hanukkah with as many people as possible.

The illustrations are cute and colorful. The words “Out for a Spin” on the side of the Mitzvah Mobile are especially adorable. The moral of the story is clear as Mendel learns that he has so much to offer his community in the celebration of his favorite holiday. The back matter of the book includes a brief history of Hanukkah, notes on how to play dreidel and how to make latkes, as well as a glossary and a song.