Eight nights, one keepsake: a Hanukkah storybook gift

A personalized story where your child is the hero, rooted in Jewish values like family, courage, learning and kindness. Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, December 4.

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The gift that is still there after the last candle

Hanukkah brings a familiar question: what do you give? Some families give a small gift on each of the eight nights, others choose one special gift for the whole holiday. Either way, the gelt gets spent, the plastic dreidel cracks, and the toy from night six is forgotten by the time the menorah is put away.

A Shalom Tales book is the opposite of a toy that breaks. It is a short illustrated story in a Jewish-values story world, with your child by name as the hero. You can read a few pages by the glow of the menorah, finish it on the eighth night, and keep it on the shelf for the Hanukkah after that.

How it works

  1. Tell us about your child. Enter their name, choose how they look, and pick a faith-rooted story world and the gentle lesson you'd like it to carry.
  2. Watch it paint itself. The digital storybook arrives by email within minutes of ordering and illustrates itself on screen, page by page. Keepsake is 12 pages; Heirloom is 20.
  3. Keep it forever. The finished book is yours as a PDF. Add a printed softcover book for a keepsake to wrap and hold.

Who it's for: grandparents especially

Grandparents who want to give something lasting, whether they are across the table or across the country. Order the digital book, send the gift code with a message, and the family can open it together over a video call, with the printed softcover to follow. Parents, aunts, uncles and family friends who want a Hanukkah gift that is more personal than another game.

It suits children ages 1 to 8. If the child isn't yours, send it as a gift: a private gift code and printable card arrive by email, and the family personalizes the story together.

What it costs

One book, or the full gift package:

Hanukkah gift questions

Is the story a Hanukkah story?

It is a personalized story in a Jewish-values story world, with your child as the hero, built around values such as family, courage, learning and kindness. You choose the world and the lesson when you create it.

When does Hanukkah 2026 begin?

At sundown on Friday, December 4, 2026. It ends in the evening of Saturday, December 12.

How fast does the digital book arrive?

By email within minutes of ordering, then it illustrates itself on screen as you watch.

Can I give one book for all eight nights?

Yes. Open it on the first night and read a little each evening, or save it for the last night. Send it as a gift and a private gift code and printable card arrive by email.

Can I add a printed copy?

Yes. A printed softcover book is +$29, or choose a gift package: Keepsake + Book $49 or Heirloom + Book $59. Allow about two weeks for printed copies to arrive.

Give a Hanukkah gift that lasts past the eighth night

Create the story tonight and have the digital book in your inbox within minutes.

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More gift ideas: Gift for grandparents Gift from afar Jewish bedtime story