The Count’s Hanukkah Countdown (Shalom Sesame) – written by Tilda Balsley and Ellen Fischer, illustrated by Tom Leigh
Kar-Ben Publishing, 2012

Sesame Street Hanukkah classic books are, admittedly, a somewhat narrow category.  If you know Count Count, you probably realize that Hanukkah is a terrific holiday for him, since it allows him to obsessively enumerate the festival’s eight days and everything associated with them. 

The book opens with Grover grasping a chanukiah (Hanukkah menorah) clutching a dreidel, and welcoming you to the celebration of the Festival of Lights.  Numerals in the text are in bold, making it fun for young children learning to count, but there is also an extended narrative. Grover begins by presenting a shopping list of ingredients to the Count, and modestly asks if that expert at counting had not realized that “furry blue monsters are excellent shoppers.”  The list comprises all the ingredients to make potato latkes (pancakes).

The scene moves to the kitchen of their Israeli friends and extended family.  Sesame Street monsters all have different color skin. Uncle Joe is purple and Aunt Sara is green.  The whole mishpacha (family) are busily engaged peeling potatoes and measuring oil. The Count enters. He is thrilled to see the multi-branch chanukiah, but confused that, on the first night, only one candle plus the shamash (helper candle) is lit. Even though he is the title character, everyone plays an important role in this family-centered holiday. Uncle Joe, seated in his easy chair, relates the historical events commemorated by Hanukkah. His language is so vivid that the children imagine the Greek soldiers riding on their elephants, depicted in a word-bubble-like cloud. They desecrate the Temple, but Uncle Joe quickly advances to the counting element, fortified by heroism. There was only enough oil for 1 night, but it miraculously lasted for 8.

Then comes the consumption of latkes. Count Count evens out the number by eating one, and everyone follows his zany example by taking 8 bites of every food item. These include not only latkes, but the equally traditional sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts).  The game of dreidel, fortunately, also involves the counting of chocolate gelt (coins). The dreidel game scene shows everyone seated in a circle on the floor. The Count is viewed from the back, with his triangular green cape pointing upward.  Even among Muppets, he looks distinctive. Presents also lend themselves to counting. We see only their colorful gift bags, so we can use our imagination about what the bags may contain.

Readers will agree with Grover that Hanukkah, to use his favorite adjective, is “totally awesome,” and to the Count, the “8 is the perfect Hanukkah number.” It’s hard to disagree with him.