Publisher's Weekly Review
Redolent with the flavor of the Old Country, Aleichem's funny and evocative tale of two boys yearning for holiday gelt is craftily complemented by Shulevitz's wry, monochromatic paintings. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Hanukah means money to Motl and his older brother, the narrator of Sholem Aleichem's wry, gently mocking slice-of-shetl-holiday-life. But a story it isn't, not as children would have it: the two boys, snickering or cavorting or marking time (as their elders play checkers or ply them with questions), never do figure out how much their assorted chetvertaks and grivenniks and piataks and kopeks add up to--not that we would know much more if they did. With a conversion table appended, some youngsters might like to calculate the sum for themselves; others will have to take their satisfaction from the echt Yiddish dialogue and nonsense verse (both of which could be hilarious read aloud) and the comically foolish pictures. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
