Talia Benamy is the author of the new children's picture book Twinkle, Twinkle, Hanukkah. She is also the editor and backlist manager for Philomel Books. She lives in Brooklyn.
Q: What inspired you to write Twinkle, Twinkle, Hanukkah?
A: Hanukkah is a holiday filled with light, based around the idea of spreading light and spreading celebration of the miracle of the oil that features in the Hanukkah story. I wanted to write a book that would let that light shine and feel cheery and bright.
I also loved the idea of connecting the holiday and celebration to something kids already knew and felt at home with, like a nursery rhyme, because to me, that’s what our favorite holidays give us: something warm and comfortable and familiar, something we come back to each year and embrace.
What better way to bring that all together than with a Hanukkah book to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”?
Q: What do you think Aura Lewis’s illustrations add to the book?
A: Aura’s art brings this story to a whole incredible new level! The text and tune center the bright lights and joy, and her illustrations make the entire book even more vibrant and joyful. Each spread bursts with color and holiday cheer, making the celebration of each aspect of Hanukkah even more special and exciting.
Q: What are some of your own favorite Hanukkah traditions?
A: There’s nothing that could possibly beat eating my grandmother’s homemade latkes—with apple sauce for me, thank you very much.
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?
A: I hope this book makes kids even more excited to celebrate Hanukkah—and that, as they do, they see the various elements of what we’ve included in the book in their own celebrations with their families and communities.
It’s always such a special moment to see kids’ eyes light up with recognition when something that they’ve read about in a book comes to life in front of them, and I hope that, as they make their way through latkes and sufganiyot, dreidels and gelt, menorahs and presents and so much more, they remember reading about those things in this book and get extra excited to participate in the traditions and festivities.
And I also hope that, for kids who aren’t familiar (or as familiar) with Jewish holidays or Hanukkah traditions, this book gives them more of an understanding of a culture that they might not be seeing up close.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’d absolutely love to continue writing books that spread Jewish joy—maybe for other Jewish holidays, centered around other nursery rhyme tunes? We’ll have to wait and see!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I love the idea that the candlelight from the menorah is explicitly meant to not be used as a source of light for work or any other mundane task, but rather only for the express purpose of enjoying the light and the miracles and wonder it represents.
There’s something so meaningful about a holiday tradition that is there for the sake of celebration alone. I hope everyone celebrating Hanukkah this year finds their own joy in the light of the menorah—and in their own traditions and communities too!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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