Stranded on an iceberg after the boat on which he is traveling to America sinks, Simon unpacks the menorah in his knapsack. It’s the first night of Hanukkah and he knows he will need a miracle, just like the Maccabees long ago, if he is to survive. And the miracles come, one by one. At first frightened when a polar bear joins him on the iceberg, Simon ends up owing his life to the bear, who shares warmth for seven nights and fish for seven days before Simon is finally rescued. Eric Kimmel’s original, satisfying tale is richly spun, and warmly illustrated by Matthew Trueman. Miracles “can happen to anyone, anywhere, even in the darkest of times,” Simon concludes. “You just have to believe.” (Ages 4–8)