Mendel's Hanukkah Mess Up

Mendel loves Hanukkah but he keeps messing up... again, and again, and again. Oy Mendel! When things go wrong with the Mitzvah Mobile, Mendel feels "as soggy as a leftover latke." But maybe Mendel didn't actually mess up this time. Maybe... Mendel managed a miracle. This delightful story is the perfect addition to our Hanukkah book library. I can't wait to share it with our young kiddos who will empathize with Mendel's mess ups, and cheer for his miracle!

Mendel's Hanukkah Mess Up may be a Chanukah story, but Mendel's mess ups are fun to read about all year long. His biggest mistake leads to a great opportunity. Reading how Mendel handles things along with the refrain make this a great read-aloud.

What a wonderful, joyous Hanukkah book! I love how the authors weave such fun language throughout the story, such as: “his words began to flow like silky sour cream” and “he felt as soggy as a leftover latke.” My favorite is “Mendel’s words mushed like applesauce.” Ha! A wonderful underlying (but not at all didactic) message is that we all make mistakes, but sometimes those mistakes were meant to be and they can lead us to some of the most beautiful unexpected moments of our lives.

Funny and sweet, with a heart-warming Hanukkah miracle!

When an accident-prone boy is asked to help spread the news of the local Hanukkah celebration, the joy and message of the holiday ends up becoming more widespread than ever, showing that sometimes even if the best efforts don't go as planned, the best outcomes will fall into place due to what is felt in the heart--and coming to realize that "we each have a spark to light up the world." What a beautiful message in a wonderful story for all young readers.

Oy, Mendel! Not again! Mendel loves Hanukkah, but he can't help messing up-- a lot. When the rabbi asks him to drive the Mitzvah Mobile and invite the townspeople to the big Hanukkah bash, nobody is more surprised than Mendel. So when the messiest of mess-ups happens, Mendel feels "as soggy as a leftover latke." However, as this beautifully written and illustrated book shows us, sometimes, mess-ups are actually miracles in disguise. Readers will both empathize and cheer for Mendel. I highly recommend this book, and I can't wait to read it to my grandkids!

Although Mendel has messed up at previous Hanukkahs, the rabbi believes Mendel is the best person to drive the Mitzvah Mobile. A new mess up briefly upsets him, but he soon gathers strength to inform the world of the miracles of Hanukkah.

Our kids keep on asking us to read this book, they absolutely love it.