Oskar and the Eight Blessings
By Jan Carr,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Exquisite Hanukkah story has universal blessings theme.
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What's the Story?
In OSKAR AND THE EIGHT BLESSINGS, young Oskar arrives in New York City, sent by his parents to escape the Nazis, and it's the seventh night of Hanukkah when he has to walk by himself up the length of Manhattan to find his Aunt Esther. Though he's scared, he's buoyed by the words of his father: " .. even in bad times, people can be good. You have to look for the blessings." Along his walk, Oskar's given bread by a woman feeding the birds, a comic book by a man at a newsstand, and mittens by a boy in Central Park. He stops to wonder at the beauty of holiday shop windows and, in a chance encounter, even whistles a tune with Count Basie. Eleanor Roosevelt also makes a cameo appearance in this magically kind New York, a city that has long embraced both the Hanukkah menorahs and Christmas trees depicted. The story ends with a teary embrace by Aunt Esther, made all the more poignant when she at first mistakes him for his father.
Is It Any Good?
This exquisitely told story is set in 1938 when young Oskar arrives in New York to escape the Nazis and meets people who help him in unexpected and moving ways. The story is Jewish, with references to lighting the menorah and humming a "nigundl," but it's also ecumenical: That year, Hanukkah coincided with Christmas, so the newsstand man wishes Oskar "Merry Christmas," and he's entranced by holiday shop windows. The artful writing and deft handling make the story and the blessings theme universal.
Illustrator Mark Siegel, well known for his work in graphic novels, uses panels to illustrate the legs of the journey, and his art is as moving as the text, as when a good fairy in a shop window is reflected in Oskar's eyes. A plus for New Yorkers is the detailed depiction of the city and its neighborhoods. This book is a history lesson, holiday story, and spiritual reminder rolled into one beautiful "blessing" -- a book to take to heart and treasure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about blessings. What blessings came to you today? How does it make you feel when you think about and remember them?
In this story, Hanukkah and Christmas happen on the same night. Who celebrates these holidays? How do we celebrate them?
Oskar takes a long walk up the island of Manhattan, pictured on the map at the end. Can you find all the places he stopped and found blessings?
Book Details
- Authors: Richard Simon, Tanya Simon
- Illustrator: Mark Siegel
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Great Boy Role Models, History, Holidays
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
- Publication date: October 8, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
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