K-Gr 2- In this gentle parable, a peddler gives a splendorous Hanukkah dreidel to the greedy owner of a toy shop with the admonishment that '...the miracle of Hanukkah cannot be bought'... Folkloric watercolor illustrations in a pale palette are appropriately soft in tone while images of the toys offering their own expressive impressions of the goings-on inject a bit of humor. A lovely choice for those wishing to circumvent the more commercial aspects of the holiday.-- "School Library Journal"
Simpson uses familiar European folk-tale motifs, which Bernhard matches with paintings of an Old World setting; both illustrate how humility outshines greed and arrogance. Backmatter explains the real miracle of Hanukkah and the holiday's significance as well as rules for playing dreidel. A sweet original tale with a timeless, though not holiday-specific message.-- "Kirkus Reviews"