July 29, 2024
When curly headed Ruthie gets her own wonderful “Pajamakkahs” to wear at her pale-skinned family’s Hanukkah pajama party, she insists on wearing them every night of the holiday, promising to keep them “spotless” until the eighth-night event. Pencil- and watercolor-style digital artwork by the illustrators Ivanov join with onomatopoeia-punctuated text by Henry to depict how Ruthie’s good intentions clash with her natural exuberance. On each night, the pajamas (printed with a robot lighting a menorah) get a little messier, bearing streaks of latke oil and squishes of sufganiyot jelly. Still, strictly speaking—at least for Ruthie—there are no “spots” until the eighth night, which the gently bustling work calls “a Hanukkah miracle.” Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–7.