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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT A Chanukah Story ML takes a peak into Robert Sabuda & Michael J. Rosen's pop-up book, Chanukah Lights Words by Marla E. Schwartz Michael J. Rosen If you're looking for a special Chanukah gift – here's an idea for you. Chanukah Lights (Candlewick Press), from New York Times bestselling author/pop-up artist Robert Sabuda and acclaimed poet Michael J. Rosen, is the perfect holiday present. This masterwork is an excellent read for any book aficionado. The unparalleled ingenuity that has gone into this book is something quite extraordinary. These collaborative artists appeared at Miami Book Fair International 2011 last month and spoke about their imaginative endeavor —an exquisite children's book that follows the story of Chanukah throughout the ages. "We wanted something dramatic, that could come alive in three dimensions," Rosen said. "Each page is a window into history, a window where a menorah is shining; the lights of the menorah are not meant to provide illumination. They aren't meant to see by; they're to be seen themselves . . . by those in the house, and by all those passing by." The chronology of the Chanukah story is very important to Sabuda and Rosen as their book begins back when the holy Temple was desecrated during the 2nd century by the Seleucid Empire, one of two kingdoms in the area that formed after the death of Alexander the Great. This particular empire prohibited Jewish religious practice. Any Jew who refused to comply would be put to death. The Temple was also plundered in order to fund a war against the other ruling kingdom. An uprising ultimately was set into motion, led by Mattathias, which included his five sons, particularly Judah (nicknamed The Maccabee, often referenced as The Hammer, as one who is ferocious in battle), who assumed leadership of the revolt upon his father's death. Three years later the fight for freedom was won and liberty restored. Robert Sabuda "Chanukah celebrates the fact that throughout the ages, under a variety of oppressive regimes, amid much hate-fueled zealotry, the Jewish people persisted in rededicating themselves to their faith. It could be said that the history of the Jews centers on making peace with larger cultures while maintaining a separate identity," Rosen stated. "The Jewish celebration of Chanukah commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Temple in Jerusalem." Inside the Temple was a menorah that burned oil. There was enough uncontaminated oil to sustain it for one day. But it lasted eight nights. This is why the celebration of Chanukah revolves around a menorah and every night candles are lit, one each night, until the very last night when all eight are lit together, in order to keep the memory of this triumph alive. This breathtaking pop-up book tells the Chanukah story through the extraordinary partnership of Sabuda's artistic elegance as a 3-D paper engineer, inspired by Rosen's poem of the same name, Chanukah Lights. The reader follows the lives of people celebrating Chanukah, during the time of Herod, in a shtetl in Russian, traveling aboard a refugee ship bound for the New World and on a Kibbutz in Israel. Each stunning pop-up depicts a different personal story as each night of Chanukah is celebrated. "Robert and I therefore created a book of eight spreads, one for each night of Chanukah, a book that moves through place and time." "It's our hope that Chanukah Lights will be a blessing that your family might add to its holiday traditions," Rosen said. This year Chanukah begins on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at sundown and ends Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at nightfall. For more information on both authors you can go to these websites: robertsabuda.com and fidosopher.com. ML MIAMI LIVING 77