Prolific picture-book author Eric A. Kimmel joins forces with celebrated artist Leonard Everett Fisher in this collection of Hanukkah stories, with two tales - a short, introductory "shammes" story and a longer, main selection - for each of the eight nights of the holiday. This format is meant to parallel the lighting of the candles each night on the Hanukkah menorah, with each main story representing one of the candles, and the "shammes" story representing the shammes candle, used to light the others. Selections include:

Ibn Ezra and the Archbishop, a story about a famous medieval rabbi and scholar who finds himself a slave of the Archbishop of Canterbury after his ship is attacked by pirates, and he is taken captive. Through his wisdom, Ibn Ezra saves the archbishop and the people of England. The shammes story here is a variant of the Rumi poem about the Chinese and Greek artists, as Ibn Ezra creates a "mural" that is really a mirror, to reflect and augment the beauty of the other murals in the same room.

The Kabil's Donkey relates a story of the Jews of Yemen, and of a threat to them when a local official attempts to force the conversion of Jewish orphans to Islam. Through the cleverness of Mar Saadiyah, a teacher at the orphanage, this plan was foiled. The shammes story here is a brief tale of two thieves, one of whom convinces their victim that he (the thief) is actually the victim's donkey.

Leviathan and the Fox, in which a cunning vulpine character outwits the dark angel sent by the lord to throw him, together with one of every other kind of animal, into the sea, in order to assuage Leviathan's envy of Behemoth's supposedly superior creatures. The shammes story here involves the use of a parable about a fox and some fish, to explore the centrality of Torah study to the Jewish life.

The Wonderful Shamir, in which King Solomon enlists the aid of brave Benayahu ben Yehoyada in tracking down the magical shamir - a tool of great power - needed to build God's temple in Jerusalem. This quest involves confronting Ashmodai, the king of demons, as well as a giant bird said to live in northern seas. The shammes story here concerns an exchange between Solomon and Ashmodai, in which the latter produces one of the two-headed descendants of Cain.

Did the Rabbi Have a Head?, in which the rabbi of Chelm goes missing, and the citizens of that town of fools begins to wonder whether he ever had a head, after finding a corpse without that appendage. The shammes story here is a brief anecdote about the 'wisdom' of the men of Chelm.

The Caliph and the Cobbler, in which a caliph who enjoys dressing as a common man and mixing with his subjects tests a humble cobbler's faith in God, eventually finding him true to his beliefs, despite all trials. The shammes story here concerns a famous rabbi from Dubno, and his coachman Ivan.

When Hershel Eats features folk hero Hershel of Ostropol, who outwits a malicious miser in the habit of inviting poor beggars to his house for a meal, only to find ways to prevent them from eating. The shammes story here involves Hershel's actions in apprehending some bank robbers.

The Spotted Pony, in which a man helps a dying fiddler, but forgets to honor his last wish, leading the spirit of the fiddler to return in the form of a pony, in order to work off his 'debt.' The shammes story here concerns two humble and holy rabbis, who refuse the hospitality of a man who had always scorned them previously.

I enjoyed The Spotted Pony: A Collection of Hanukkah Stories immensely, finding many of the stories familiar, either as tales in their own right, or because I was familiar with the central characters, from the townspeople of Chelm to Hershel of Ostropol. As a fox lover, I particularly enjoyed Leviathan and the Fox, and found myself wishing that Kimmel had included his sources. This wish was constant throughout my read, as it happens, and is my main criticism of the book. I found the story of Ibn Ezra fascinating, and given that he was a historical figure, found myself wondering how much of the tale was based in fact. Given the strong similarity between the first shammes story and the Rumi piece on Chinese and Greek artists, I wondered which came first. This was an enjoyable collection, and is one I would recommend to folklore lovers - although billed as a Hanukkah collection, most stories don't directly address that holiday - but it would have been greatly improved by a detailed author's note. ( )

A wonderful selection of stories! I love Kimmel's collections. Great tales, good lessons and some laughs. Highly recommended! ( )

Eight traditional shammes stories--about King Solomon and his magic ring, a mysterious spotted pony, Benayahu ben Yehoyada, and other heroes, demons, and fools--help celebrate the Festival of Lights. ( )