The Magic Dreidel - A Personalized Hanukkah Story

In this story, Mac, the magic dreidel, re-creates the miracle of Hanukkah and teaches your child the meaning of this Jewish holiday. 

A detailed story is given below this page

Sample Page Illustration	Book Cover	Sample Page Illustration

Price $18.95 Book # 514 Hard cover  6 3/4" x 8 1/4"   35 pages  For ages 4-9

Please include the following on the order form:

• Book number (Select 514)
• Child's first, middle and last name
• Child's age
• Child's gender
• Hometown
• Names of 3 friends
• Dedication e.g. With love from
• Name of person giving the book
• Date of the book is given

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The Magic Dreidel - Detailed Story

As you read the story below substitute the underlined information with yours. This is just a sample story, your book will be made using the information you submit (listed above).

• Page 1 – Book title and illustration
• Page 2 – More picture illustrations (samples shown on top of this page)
• Page 3 –  "The Magic Dreidel" was created especially for Michael Jeremy Smith at the age of 8, with love from Mommy and Daddy, December 27, 2005.
• Page 4 - Throughout Atlanta, children gazed out of their windows on the crisp winter day and watched the sun set.  They anxiously awaited the disappearance of the last little bit of light, for that would make the start of a very special holiday -- the eight-day festival of Hanukkah.  Michael Jeremy Smith was so excited.  Larry, Wayne and Bob would be there to help light the menorah and open the Hanukkah gifts.
• Page 5 – Picture illustrations
• Page 6 – More picture illustrations
• Page 7 – Since the guests had not arrived yet, Mike practiced with the dreidel, a four-sided top used in a special Hanukkah game.  Round and round the dreidel spun, and each time it landed with a different one of its Hebrew letters --nun, gimel, hay, and shin--showing.
• Page 8 – "Ouch!" shouted the dreidel.  "I landed hard that time.  Mike, do you think we could take a little break?  I'm getting kind of dizzy, and I don't want to be pooped out when everyone gets here."
• Page 9 – Picture illustrations
• Page 10 – More Picture illustrations
• Page 11 - Mike could hardly believe his ears!  "Wait a minute!  Whoever heard of a talking dreidel?" asked Mike.  "Well, most dreidels can't talk, but I'm very special," the top said, with a little chuckle.  I'm Mac, the magic dreidel, and I'm not just a toy.  I'm here for a very special reason.  Let me ask you a question.  What do you like best about Hanukkah?" Mike had to think for only a second.
• Page 12 – "Well, Mac, I like lighting the candles on the menorah each night and eating of all that good Hanukkah food.  However, I think that I like the gifts the very best, " answered Mike.  "Those are a very important part of the holiday," said Mac, "but that's not enough, Mike.  I've come here to teach you the meaning of Hanukkah."

• Page 13 – Picture illustrations
• Page 14 – More picture illustrations
• Page 15 – With that, the dreidel suddenly jumped up and began to spin faster and faster.  As he whirled, twirled, and laughed merrily, the room was bathed in a soft, blue light.  Mike was fascinated, for suddenly, pictures like a movie or television show appeared and hung in mid-air.
• Page 16 – "Whew!  Quite a workout," said Mac, who had stopped spinning.  "Now, Mike Smith, we're going to talk about how Hanukkah began and why we celebrate it today.  Then, I want you to share the story later with Larry, Wayne and Bob."  Mike gazed intently at the scene before him as Mac began his tale.
• Page 17 – Picture illustrations
• Page 18 – More picture illustrations
• Page 19 - "Mike, two thousand years ago, in the land we know as Israel, wicked King Antiochus ruled. He did not like the way that the Jewish people worshipped only one God, for he worshipped many.  The Jews were proud and refused to bend to the King's will.  So the King robbed and damaged the beautiful temple in Jerusalem and killed many of the Jews."

   Page 20 – "One day, Mike, the king's men insisted that an old man named Mattathias worship a statue of a Greek god.  Mattathias became angry and refused.  Then he, his five sons, and their followers ran into the hills and formed an army.  Mattathias's family became known as the Maccabees, a word which means 'hammer'. When Mattathias died, his son, Judah Maccabee became the leader of the band of the Jews."

• Page 21 – Picture illustrations
• Page 22 – More picture illustrations
• Page 23 - Mike listened and watched as the scene before his eyes shifted to the hills of Judea.  "They were a small band, but the Maccabees and the followers believed strongly in their cause and knew the hills of Judea well.  Because of this, they were able to defeat the armies of the wicked king.  Antiochus was driven out of the Judea, and Judah Maccabee led his followers out of the hills."
• Page 24 – "But all was not well.  The Jews had to repair the temple in Jerusalem.  Alas, Mike, there was only enough oil to keep the scared eternal light burning for one day.  Then, the miracle of Hanukkah occurred.  That little bit of oil kept the light burning not for one day, but for eight."
• Page 25 – Picture illustrations
• Page 26 – More picture illustrations
• Page 27 – "Mike, this is the reason that we celebrate Hanukkah for eight days.  We light a candle each night to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah.  It's a story that you should think about when you, along with Larry, Wayne and Bob, are eating potato latkes tonight, opening gifts, and spinning me in circles."
• Page 28 - The pictures that had danced before Mike slowly began to fade.  Soon, all in the living room was just as it had been before.  Mike looked down at the floor, and there lay Mac.  Only now, he wasn't talking.  In fact, he looked just like an ordinary dreidel.  "Wow!" thought Mike.  "Did that really happen?  Was it just a dream?  Was this really a magic dreidel?"
• Page 29 – Picture illustrations
• Page 30 – More picture illustrations
• Page 31 –Of course it was!  For Mac had given Mike the best holiday gift of all: a lesson about the true meaning of Hanukkah.  Mike Smith would always remember this.  He would be sure to share the story with Larry, Wayne and Bob.
• Page 32 – Mike, here some Hanukkah words you should remember.  The Maccabees (MAH-cuh-bees) -- The brave band of Jews who fought the wicked king's armies from the hills of Judea.  Their first leader was Mattathias, and later they were ked by his son, Judah Maccabee.  Antiochus (an-tee-AH-kus) -- was the wicked king who robbed and pillaged the temple and made life miserable for the Jews.  The menorah (meh-NOHR-uh) -- is the eight-stemmed candelabra.  We light a candle each night to commemorate the miracle of Hanukkah.  The dreidel (DRAY-duhl)is the four-sided top used in traditional Hanukkah games.
• Page 33 – Picture illustrations
• Page 34 – More picture illustrations
• Page 35 - Mike, you can have fun playing the dreidel game at Hanukkah.  You need  a dreidel and some raisins equally divided among the players.  Each person takes five raisins from his or her pile and puts them into the main pile in the center.  Then, each person takes a turn spinning the dreidel.  When it stops spinning and the letter "nun" is facing up, the player does nothing.  "Hay" means that the player gets half of the main pile.  "Shin" means that you must put half of your raisins into the main pile.  For "gimel," a player takes all of the raisins in the main pile.  The Hebrew letters on the dreidel stand for "Nes gadol hayah sham," which means "A great miracle happened there" -- a fitting message for Hanukkah.
• Page 36- Mike Smith, In THE MAGIC DREIDEL, did you learn these new vocabulary words?

• ayh ___________________

• nhis___________________

• legim__________________

• unn___________________

• eriddle________________

• akahnukh______________

• hamenor_______________

The End

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