Latkes!
Latkes!
Dec 14As the holidays approach, we try to be an equal opportunity celebration zone. We’ve been reading and learning lots about Hanukah and Kwanza along with all our Santa and Christmas books. Today, we read a favorite – Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat by Naomi Howland. This story about a young lady named Sadie and her mischievous brothers delights children as a magic frying pan causes havoc on the home and eventually the entire village.
As I read the story, we had a special treat… on the other side of the classroom, hidden from view, Mrs. D. was frying up latkes for us to eat… when the story talked about smelling the potatoes, onions, and oil, we all stopped to sniff the air. When the story described the sizzling sound of the latkes in the pan, we stopped, cupped our ears and listened to our latkes sautéing.
Finally, after I finished the book – each sprout got to taste the wonderful creations Mrs. D. had made while we read. Many wanted seconds! Because of the latkes, I’m sure they’ll remember the story and how much fun we had reading and eating.
I didn’t get to make them this year–just not enough time! We have been playing the dreidel game daily, though! Usually, several of the kids will tell me they don’t like them, but always come back for more after we’ve tasted them!
We read “The Hanakkah Guest” today and made Laktes. The children really enjoyed it and loved getting to try the various toppings (traditional: jam, applesauce, sour cream. Not so traditional: Ketchup).