The Runaway Latkes

As Rebecca Bloom prepares for a Hanukkah party at the synagogue, three latkes jump right out of her frying pan. They head straight for the door, singing, "Big and round, crisp and brown, off we roll to see the town And You can't catch us "And so begins the chase. The sassy latkes roll out of the synagogue and through the town with Rebecca and a growing crowd in hot pursuit. Their travels come to an end at Applesauce River, where, by a modern-day Hanukkah miracle, the water actually turns into applesauce -- the perfect bath for three crispy latkes Paul Yalowitz's witty paintings complement Leslie Kimmelman's funny take on the story of the Gingerbread Man. The author is from New York; the illustrator is from Florida.