The Flying Latke

The Story

Hungry from the lack of appetizers (Mother doesn't believe in them) one Chanukah, Uncle Izzy and Uncle Shecky start arguing over what kind of car cut them off recently, a Buick or a Ford. Shecky shakes a pickle so hard it bounces off Izzy's forehead, and the food fight is on. Borscht, chicken, sour cream, even the chocolate Chanukah gelt--nothing is sacred. But when one last latke soars out the window, it just keeps flying! Soon news reporters and FBI agents are swarming the house, seeking the source of the mysterious UFO. The family is stranded in the house, with almost no food, until everything blows over. In Arthur Yorinks's fantastically wacky version of the traditional Chanukah story, the remaining plate of latkes, which, in that crowd, should have lasted 'about seven and a half minutes,' lasts for eight days! An all-star (or mostly-star) cast of actors and illustrators were 'cast' for this unusual book, staged and photographed by Yorinks and Paul Colin. Newbery- and Caldecott-award winning illustrator William Steig (Sylvester and the Magic Pebble) provided the background art, as Yorinks and Colin digitally transferred photos of the posed actors into the illustrations. This hilarious take on the Jewish holiday, while wildly offbeat, remains true to the spirit of the Chanukah miracle; ultimately, the fighting stops and forgiveness reigns. (Ages 4 to 10) --Emilie Coulter