Hear Me Roar! I'm a HANUKKAHsaur -- Picture Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide you with an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Naomi Gruer to bring you this post.

The holidays are fast approaching. Halloween is just a couple weeks away and once it hits all the holidays seem to fly by. Today we are sharing a book about Hanukkah that is perfect for dinosaur lovers! The book is Hear Me Roar! I'm a HANUKKAHsaur by Naomi Gruer and illustrated by Mel Zohar. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. There is a giveaway after my review!

About the Book:

Hear Me Roar! I’m a HANUKKAHsaur Written by Naomi Gruer & Illustrated by Mel Zohar

Ages: 4-8 | 32 Pages | Publisher: Kalaniot (2026) | ISBN-13: 978-1-962011-19-8

Publisher's Book Summary: Miles is a dinosaur expert with a colossal imagination. When Hanukkah begins, he stomps into action as a whole herd of helpful dinosaurs. Each night, Miles becomes a new Dino—flipping latkes, spinning dreidels, and lighting the menorah—learning that even when things go wrong, he can help make them right. Packed with clever wordplay, Jewish traditions, and irresistible dinosaur energy, HANUKKAHsaur celebrates family, perseverance, and the belief that Dinos can do it!

Purchase Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org

About the Author:

Naomi Gruer is a freelance writer who has published articles, essays, a column, and a blog. As a Microsoft Guest Educator, she’s participated in World Read Aloud Day by Skyping with schools in Spain, Canada, and the U.S. She’s a preschool teacher in New Jersey, where she’s raised triplets and a younger daughter. This is her first picture book.

Website | X | Instagram | Facebook

About the Illustrator:

Mel Zohar is an illustrator and visual storyteller based in Rome, Italy. She is passionate about projects featuring expressive characters, inclusive stories, and lots of humor—because she believes there’s nothing better than making kids laugh!

From Me:

In this diverse book we meet Miles who loves dinosaurs. Hanukkah has arrived and Miles wants to celebrate as a dinosaur. In fact, on the first night, he opens a dinosaur costume which he wears throughout the rest of the book. Miles likes to help with everything but seems to make a mess every time. However, he always offers to help clean up because dinos can. 

This is a fun book that shares some Hanukkah traditions as well as some dinosaur fun. Traditions included are lighting the menorah, getting gifts, latkes, playing dreidel and getting gelt, eating sufganiyot, and a bit about the Maccabees. At the end of the book is a glossary with many of these words as well as the dinosaur names and what Miles changes them into for the holiday season. There is also information about where the names of dinosaurs came from. I love how the book combines the traditions with the love of dinosaurs. I also love how Miles is included in the preparations and celebrations as well as the cleaning up of the mess. He even cleans up after the dinosaur Hanukkah party on the eighth night. It is a book about Hanukkah, dinosaurs and being part of a family and community. It is the perfect book to gift a dinosaur lover the first night of Hanukkah or to teach dinosaur lovers about the traditions of Hanukkah. It also is a fun book to read out loud for a story time. I am sure the kids listening will enjoy the mess Miles keeps making and the adults will enjoy how he offers to help clean up the mess. This is a fun book for the holiday!

Giveaway:

Celebrate all eight nights of Hanukkah with a roaring good giveaway! Readers who follow along on this virtual book tour will have the chance to win one of eight prize packs, each including a signed hardcover copy of Hear Me Roar! I’m a HANUKKAHsaur by Naomi Gruer and a bookmark featuring a fun Dino Hunt game. Each winner will also receive a goodie bag filled with a small toy dinosaur, wooden dreidel, and gelt, plus a handmade plush pillow featuring soft turquoise fleece and custom fabric decorated with dinosaurs from the book’s endpapers. Good luck!