"This funny story will inspire some tinkering with the family latke recipe." - Sarah Yahr Tucker, Hadassah Magazine

Everyone knows that Big Larry makes the best latkes in town. This year he's throwing a Hanukkah party for all his friends, and the latkes need to be extra special.

Big Larry goes on a culinary quest to find brand-new latke flavors. But peaches are a soggy mess, and turnips are a flop. Big Larry's kitchen is a latke disaster! Good thing he has some help from his friends.

Includes a tasty (and successful!) recipe for Rainbow Latkes with Fresh Rainbow Salsa.

Reviews

Here is a book that con tains all the fun of Hanukkah latkes in a humor-filled, vivid ly illus trat ed, rhyming con fec tion. Big Lar ry is an alli ga tor with a toothy but friend ly grin who has been in the latke busi ness for years, sell ing his delec table pan cakes from a food truck. He has a large, enthu si as tic fol low ing, and his many cus tomers eager ly line up for his Hanukkah treats.

One day Lar ry decides to be cre ative and vary the tra di tion al recipe, sub sti tut ing a vari ety of fruits and veg eta bles for the tra di tion al pota toes in hopes of land ing on the per fect inno va tion. Pep pers, pears, per haps artichokes...there are so many choic es for Lar ry to try. Star fruit, kiwi, apri cots, berries...the world is full of possibilities.

But as appeal ing as each of the new choic es may be, none seems to quite fill the bill - the pan cakes don't have their usu al tex ture or crunch. With spir it and verve, Lar ry keeps try ing; he sim ply refus es to give up. And then, final ly, he cre ates a per fect blend of the tra di tion al and the new. Suc cess at last!

Larry's tra di tion al latke recipe is includ ed along with a recipe for his ulti mate cre ation - Big Larry's Rain bow Latkes with Fresh Rain bow Salsa.

The rol lick ing tale has a num ber of gen tle mes sages: find ing new chal lenges, stick ing to them until you achieve suc cess, com bin ing fam i ly tra di tions with cre ative approach es, and more. Oth er Hanukkah-themed sto ries will teach chil dren more about the his to ry and cus toms of the hol i day. This one is pure ly deli cious fun.

--Michal Malen, JEWISH BOOK COUNCIL

Can a Hanukkah latke be potato-less?

Larry is an alligator with a food truck. His customers range from mice to moose, and all are eager eaters. Larry uses his granny's recipe but wonders if there is more to a latke than potatoes, onions, and matzo meal. Holding his basket, he visits a busy farmers market, selecting peppers, tomatillos, and pears, among other ingredients-but no potatoes. The culinary results are unsuccessful. He continues to pursue a new recipe in trial-and-error fashion using the newfound ingredients. It's a catalog of foodie delicacies: leek, Camembert, kale, quince, chard, and more. He produces "a soggy mess" and "mushy-gushy glop." With failure over the stove about to befall him, Larry turns back to the tried-and-true potato, returning to the farmers market on a "gator-tater quest." At last the something-old, something-new formula achieves success. It's a Hanukkah party for all as his very happy and hungry friends celebrate the first night of the holiday with a new twist on a traditional treat. The cartoon illustrations are bold and brash, brimming over the pages with activity. With more to say about farmers markets and cooking than Hanukkah (though a short note discusses the miracle of the oil), this title gives readers who celebrate the holiday the sort of playful, largely secular experience found in countless Christmas books.

Try this different but tasty recipe for latkes. (recipe) (Picture book. 4-7)

--KIRKUS REVIEWS

Food-truck owner Big Larry (an alligator) has always sold latkes from Grandma Gold Gator's recipe, but this year he decides to try new flavors.

The farmers' market provides options, but his peach-, turnip-, and camambert-based latkes are each missing a key ingredient. Never fear: he comes to his senses, and the results are a delicious innovation in fusion dining. A well-metered text adnfriendly, cartoonish illsutrations make for an inviting story of mixing old and new. Back matter gives brief, miracle-focused information about the holiday as well as a recipe for latkes--with fresh rainbow salsa.

--Shoshana Flax, HORN BOOK

This funny story will inspire some tinkering with the family latke recipe. Alligator chef Big Larry serves up fried perfection at his latke truck every year. But for his 10th annual Hanukkah party, he decides to shake up Grandma Golda Gator's tried-and-true recipe. Scouring the farmer's market, he finds exciting new ingredients and whips up distinct culinary mixtures-all of which turn into a soggy mess. Luckily, he discovers the secret to gourmet latke success and, with the help of his animal friends, pulls off a delicious Hanukkah miracle. Waldman's clever rhymes will have kids giggling as they convey a gentle message about reimagining cherished traditions while preserving their strengths. Whitehouse's adorable neighborhood of animals-from moose to mice-complement the playful text. At the end, Big Larry's unique recipe is revealed for young cooks to try at home.

--Sarah Yahr Tucker, HADASSAH MAGAZINE

Just when you thought there couldn't be another take on hanukhah latkes, along comes Jenna Waldman's delightful picture book, Larry's Latkes. The main character, Larry, is an alligator with a friendly toothy smile who owns a once-a-year food truck that sells only latkes. All the animals in town look forward to patronizing Larry's mobile establishment every Hanukkah because Larry makes the best latkes using his Grandma Golda Gator's secret recipe. This year though, Larry starts thinking about changing things up, "But years of just potatoes make him wonder,/'Is there more?'/The world is full of flavors I have never tried before."

Larry rushes to the fruit and vegetable market to purchase artichokes, plums, melons, okra, peaches, tomatillos, etc. He soon learns that this rainbow of colors and flavors, although beautiful, don't make tasty latkes. Larry has a big problem and wonders how to fix it. In a eureka moment, with potatoes dancing above his head, Larry realizes, "My latkes need POTATOES like a bagel needs its lox!" Just in time for the Hanukkah party, all the animals in the neighborhood help Larry peel, chop and mix the potatoes into a new hybrid latke that combines "the taste of something new with flavors from the past!"

Soon everyone is celebrating the first night of Hanukkah around Larry's fun food truck, lighting the candles and eating the tasty new latkes. Waldman brings together the best of all story elements in this fine addition to everyone's Hanukkah collection: food, friendship and innovation. She even includes a must-try recipe for "Big Larry's Rainbow Latkes with Fresh Rainbow Salsa" at the end. Ben Whitehouse's digitally rendered illustrations pack a lot of color, information and emotion into each page. By the end, the reader wishes Larry would drive his latke food truck to their neighborhood.

--Rena Citrin, Association of jewish Libraries

Book Information
ISBN 9781681155654
Author Jenna Waldman
Format Hardback
Page Count 32
Imprint Behrman House Inc.,U.S.
Publisher Behrman House Inc.,U.S.