Our Hanukkah Light
The hanukkah family traditions story, rewritten for your child
Every page is redrawn around the child you make it for. Keep the story’s own hero and give them your child’s name, or choose someone new — it takes a minute, and nothing is locked in.
From$34.99 USD
Free to start. No payment to see your child in the story.
- 32 pages, hardcover
- 5.9 × 5.9 in
- Ages 5-7
- Premium, thick pages
- Free standard shipping included
- Printed & delivered in 2-3 weeks (US)
Start with the story’s own hero or pick from our cast — then give them your child’s name.
A warm, personalized Hanukkah story starring your family — eight nights of light, latkes, and love.
That’s the story. The rest is how it becomes your child’s.
How personalization works
Who is this story about?
Keep the story’s own hero
The hero is already written and drawn for this book. Give them your child’s name if you like — that’s the whole edit.
Or swap in one of our cast
Eight characters to start from, and you rename whoever you pick.
- Luna
- Theo
- Mateo
- Sofia
- Amara
- Layla
- Mei
- Ravi
Or make your own
Describe them in a sentence, or add a photo to guide the likeness. Either way, entirely optional.
The characters are just the start.
Every part of this book is yours to change. Not a name dropped into a template — the whole thing is redrawn around the child you’re making it for.
- Every illustrationAll 32 pages are drawn fresh, not stamped with a face.
- The rooms and placesYour child's actual bedroom, your street, the places the story visits.
- The objects that recurThe specific blanket, the toy they won’t sleep without — carried page to page.
- Everyone else in itSiblings, grandparents, the dog. Named and drawn as themselves.
- The story itselfChange what happens, and the words on the page change with it.
- Or change nothingPick a hero and read it tonight. The rest is there when you want it.
What's Inside This Book
1 of 17 spreads
Every character, scene, and object in this book can be replaced with your own — your child's name, your family photos, your home, your school.
What you get
Free to start. No payment to see your child in the story.
Start free
- Free to start — no card needed
- See your child in the story in minutes
- Rename the hero and edit the story text
- Choose a ready-made character, or add a photo later
- Export a PDF of what you make
Your perfect keepsake
Hardcover book
- Full-color hardcover, 15×15cm
- Free standard shipping included
- Printed & delivered in about 2-3 weeks (US)
- Personalize names, story text & style
- Add your own photos once you are in the editor
Quick summary of Our Hanukkah Light
Our Hanukkah Light is a 32-page personalized storybook for children ages 5–7 that follows Maya, Papa, and Bubbe through all eight nights of Hanukkah — candle lighting, latkes, dreidel, and the miracle story — making Jewish holiday traditions feel warm, memorable, and truly theirs.
This personalized children's book follows Maya, Papa, and Bubbe through all eight nights of Hanukkah, weaving together candle lighting, the miracle story, latkes, dreidel, and sufganiyot. Designed for ages 5–7, it transforms family holiday traditions into a treasured, illustrated keepsake.
Key Takeaways
- Anchors Hanukkah traditions through joyful, repeated storytelling that children remember
- Introduces the miracle of oil story in child-friendly language a 5-year-old can grasp
- Strengthens intergenerational bonds by centering Bubbe as the family's memory-keeper
- Teaches Hanukkah vocabulary — shamash, latkes, gelt, sufganiyot — naturally through story
- Frames family love as endless, mirroring the miracle candle's light that never ran out
Why This Book Works
Research by Dr. Marshall Duke at Emory University found that children who know their family's stories score higher on resilience, self-esteem, and emotional wellbeing. Our Hanukkah Light does exactly that — it embeds the Hanukkah miracle into a family narrative, giving children a story that is both ancient and personally theirs. When Maya hears Bubbe retell the miracle, she is absorbing both Jewish heritage and her own family identity in the same breath.
Personalized books accelerate story engagement: a 2019 study in the Journal of Educational Psychology found children read personalized texts up to 40% longer and recalled details more accurately. By naming the child's real family members — a Papa who flips latkes, a Bubbe who hugs and teaches — the book collapses the distance between listener and story. Every page feels like a memory being made, not a lesson being delivered.
Ritual repetition is one of the most powerful tools for early childhood learning, according to Harvard's Center on the Developing Child. Each Hanukkah night in the story mirrors the real-world ritual families enact together. Reading this book year after year adds another layer of meaning — the child grows, but the story stays steady, becoming a holiday anchor as reliable as the menorah itself.
Common Misconceptions
Hanukkah books are only meaningful for Jewish families
Stories centered on light, family warmth, and belonging resonate universally. Child development experts note that exposure to cultural celebrations builds empathy and broadens a child's understanding of the world.
Young children won't understand the historical miracle story
Children ages 5–7 are in a prime developmental window for narrative comprehension. Bubbe's retelling uses concrete, sensory language — oil, flame, eight nights — that makes an abstract miracle tangible and memorable.
A holiday book only gets read once a year
Families who own personalized holiday books report reading them multiple times per season. The child's name and family members on every page make repeated reads feel fresh and emotionally rewarding.
How to Read This Book with Your Child
Best time to read: Read on the first night of Hanukkah to set the season's tone, then revisit on the eighth night as a closing ritual.
Light a candle or turn on a Hanukkah lamp before opening the book to create a sensory ritual. Ask your child: 'What's your favorite part of Hanukkah so far?' This primes emotional connection and gives the story immediate personal relevance.
Conversation Starters
- “What do you think it felt like when the oil lasted eight whole nights?”
- “If you were Maya, which part of Hanukkah night would be your favourite?”
- “What does Papa mean when he says our love never runs out?”
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is Our Hanukkah Light best suited for?
This book is ideal for children ages 5–7. The vocabulary, sentence length, and story pacing are calibrated for early readers and confident read-aloud listeners, though younger siblings aged 3–4 will enjoy the candle-lighting and food scenes equally.
Do we need to be Jewish for this book to feel meaningful?
Not at all. While the book is authentically rooted in Hanukkah tradition, its core themes — family warmth, a miracle of light, intergenerational storytelling — are universally resonant. Many interfaith and culturally curious families choose it as an introduction to Jewish celebration.
Can grandparents be included as characters?
Yes. Bubbe is a central character, making this book a natural gift from grandparents to grandchildren. The intergenerational storytelling between Bubbe and Maya is one of the book's emotional anchors.
How is this different from a standard Hanukkah picture book?
Personalization changes everything. Unlike shelf books, your child's family members appear by name on every page, making Maya's Hanukkah feel like their own memory rather than someone else's story. It becomes a keepsake families return to every December.
What Hanukkah traditions does the story cover?
The story includes candle lighting with the shamash, Bubbe's retelling of the miracle of oil, latke making, dreidel with gelt, and sufganiyot on the final night — a comprehensive, joyful tour of Hanukkah's most beloved customs.
The hanukkah family traditions story, rewritten for your child
Free to start. No payment to see your child in the story.
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