The Flying Latke - Hardcover

Arthur Yorinks

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689825978 ISBN 13: 9780689825972

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1999

Synopsis

A family argument over a Buick on the first night of Chanukah results in a food fight, and when Uncle Izzy throws a latke out the window, the FBI mistakes it for a UFO. 25,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

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

About the Author:

Arthur Yorinks, co-director of The Night Kitchen theater, is the author of many award-winning books for children, among them Louis The Fish; Company's Coming; Oh, Brother; and Hey, Al, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal.

Arthur Yorinks directed the cast members of The Flying Latke, who were photographed in the studio of Paul Colin and digitally transferred into the world of William Steig's art.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0689825978
• ISBN 13: 9780689825972
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Paul Colin