MY REVIEW
Look out! There’s a dinosaur loose at Hanukkah, and his name is Miles!
In Naomi Gruer’s Hear Me Roar! I’m a HANUKKAHsaur, one wildly imaginative boy turns eight festive nights into a prehistoric parade of delightful disasters. Latkes tumble. Dreidels scatter. Chocolate gelt flies. And just when you think the menorah is safe… CRACK!
But beneath the stomping, roaring, and spectacular messes is a sweet surprise: Miles learns that being powerful doesn’t mean being perfect. Sometimes the bravest thing a dinosaur can do is grab a broom and help. It’s impossible not to cheer him on.
Gruer’s dinosaur wordplay is gloriously silly, from VeLATKEraptor to DiploDOUGHcus, while Mel Zohar’s lively illustrations practically leap off the page. Jewish traditions shine through naturally, giving young readers plenty to discover between giggles.
A funny, warmhearted, wonderfully noisy holiday read that proves one important thing: even the biggest little dinosaurs have enormous hearts. ROAR!
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!
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.
*Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Naomi Gruer. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal views.
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