(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kirsti Beautyman. Eva is new in town, and as Hanukkah approaches, she hasn’t made friends...but she does have a dragon. Spark is lonely and needs a dragon friend, but “that would take a miracle.” As Eva gets to know her neighbors, Hanukkah traditions and Spark provide entry points for conversation, and by the eighth night, Spark and Eva both have friends. Many readers and listeners will likely identify with the friendship arc, and the fantasy elements intriguingly leave room for ­interpretation -- is Spark real (“not ­everyone can see him”) or a coping ­mechanism? Textured illustrations use swirling patterns around dragons to create a sense of magic. An endnote gives Hanukkah background.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2025