~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Hanukkah Story
Written by
Joelle Burnette
Illustrated by
Arlene Linder
&
Joelle Burnette
Freedom Doesn’t Just Come Along With A Tree
By Joelle Burnette
Copyright 2004,
2005 Joelle Burnette
Illustration copyright 2011 Arlene Linder
Smashwords Edition
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~~~~~~~~~~~
Dedicated to Jesse and Sophie
With loving
thanks to
Richard Linder, my “Atticus Finch” father,
Arlene
Linder, my dear friend and creative mother, and
Mark Burnette, my
patient, loving husband who keeps me laughing.
Special thanks
to
Karen Pierce Gonzalez
~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘Twas the day
before Hanukkah, when all through my house,
An excitement was
brewing, and the cat chased her mouse.
Mommy was busy, my party
was near.
She gathered ingredients for a day of good cheer.
“There’s so much
to do, I want to be ready.
The children are anxious; I must be
steady.”
There were dreidels to find and menorahs to pack.
Silver to shine and rid of old wax.
Mommy was assembling
goody bags with treats.
I helped put in stickers, a dreidel and
sweets.
Game rules, we added, a Hanukkah puzzle, too.
Pretty
ribbons she fastened, all silver and blue.
“Don’t worry,
mommy, you’ll be fine.
I hope I can sleep, I hope dreams are
mine.
The party's tomorrow, the time’s nearly here!"
I
yelled to my mommy, I yelled with great cheer.
Only weeks before,
my mommy asked me,
“Do any of your classmates observe Hanukkah
like we?”
“They talk of Kris
Kringle, winter solstice, a list.
We decorate our classroom to get
ready for Christmas.
But I don’t write to Santa, nor pray to the
sun.
Mommy, why is Christmas everywhere and Hanukkah shunned?”