Two girls face their first Chanukah since their mother’s death in this sensitive picture-book story. Everything reminds Selma of Mama’s absence, even though Papa is trying his best. Papa’s fat, brown, lumpy latkes are so different from Mama’s light and crisp latkes that Selma can’t bring herself to eat them. But when Papa tells Selma and her little sister, Dora, that Mama would want them to celebrate Chanukah, Selma asks to light the menorah, marking the first night just the way Mama taught her. Michelle Edwards’s poignant treatment of a grieving child doesn’t try to minimize sadness. But it also offers hope in the love that remains in her family and the memories that will always sustain her. The illustrations, done in oil and acrylic gouache, enhance the warmth of the story with their cozy glow. (Ages 5–8)

For Selma and her little sister Dora, this is their first Chanukkah without Mama. When Papa comes home with everything they need for latkes, Selma is worried. Mama always made the Chanukkah latkes. Can they make them without her?