Potchky, a ring-tailed lemur, is a fussy eater; pal Nosh, a koala, is a more willing gourmet. Nosh wants to make latkes (Potchky: “What are latkes?” Nosh: “Yummy potato pancakes”) but Potchky whines: “The only potatoes I like are potato chips.” Potchky agrees to help Nosh prepare the treats but objects to the color of the peeled potatoes. The lemur soon gives up on cooking altogether, preferring to set up the menorah and read a holiday book. Once the latkes are ready, Potchky refuses to taste them: “They are brown and mucky, yucky, rusty, fried mud pies!” Nosh is patient, though, and when Potchky asks if Judah Maccabee, the hero of the Hanukkah story, ate latkes, Nosh answers: “I do not know, Potchky. But I think he would be brave and try one.” Success! But will Potchky be courageous enough to try the sufganiyot Nosh has also prepared? Relying on comic book–like panels and speech bubbles, this tale depicts amusingly expressive animals, with Yiddish words for names. Warm tones enliven the page backgrounds. Gently soothing Nosh and dramatic Potchky have an appealing, opposites-attract dynamic, reminiscent of Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad. Readers will appreciate that Nosh is never pushy, giving Potchky plenty of space and autonomy. Though information on Hanukkah is appended (along with a recipe and science experiment), the story itself assumes some familiarity with the festivities.
