"Young immigrant Simon travels to America aboard a ship that sinks on Hanukkah. He gives another passenger his lifeboat spot and camps out on an iceberg. Sharing latkes with a polar bear pays off in body heat and fish; his Hanukkah candles catch the attention of a passing ship. Illustrations with frequent images of light in darkness evoke the Hanukkah spirit." --Horn Book Guide ( )

The illustrations are wonderful. ( )

I figured it was only appropriate to read at this time of year. And I liked it. Just the right mixture of faith and novelty. ( )

Embarking on a sea voyage to America, young Simon finds himself stranded on an iceberg when his ship sinks, and must celebrate Hanukkah there, in the cold and the darkness. The lights of his menorah attract the attention of a polar bear, who feeds and shelters him (rather than eating him), and he is eventually rescued, demonstrating that the world is still full of miracles...

Published in 2014, Simon and the Bear is the sixth Hanukkah title I have read from author Eric A. Kimmel, after such classics as Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins and When Mindy Saved Hanukkah, and I expected to enjoy it quite a bit. Unfortunately, while the story outline is promising - a tale of adventure and miracles, one in which faith is rewarded in such a way as to remind the reader of the original Hanukkah story - I found the execution somehow fell short. Perhaps it's simply that I recently read a book on the Titanic - the clear inspiration for Simon's doomed ship - and am aware of how many steerage class children perished on that real-life voyage. Perhaps it's that I know that a child and a full-grown man wouldn't have changed places, with the man taking the child's place in the lifeboats, even if it was the child's request. Whatever the case might be, I was so distracted by my inability to suspend my disbelief that my enjoyment of the story was lessened. I didn't dislike the story, despite not finding it very convincing, and I did enjoy the illustrations from Matthew Trueman - the polar bear was my favorite part of the book, visually speaking - so I'd still recommend this one to picture-book readers seeking Hanukkah stories, even if it isn't destined to be one of my own personal favorites. ( )