The Remembering Candle
by: Alison Goldberg and illustrated by Selina Alko
April 12, 2025, Barefoot Books
32 pages
Some time ago I posted a picture of the yahrtzeit candle I had lit for my father on a social media site that shall not be named. It was part of my efforts to share Jewish traditions and customs with my readers. I did not expect the post to blow up the way it did. Don’t worry, despite that app becoming a cesspit in later years, this story has a happy ending. People were genuinely curious about the custom, excited to share their own mourning traditions, or just wanting to support me on a sad day. What I quickly realized, was that this particularly Jewish custom gets very little media attention despite being symbolic to many cultures around the world. Which is why I was incredibly curious to see how Alison Goldberg and Selina Alko would interpret it for children in their picture book The Remembering Candle.
Long story short: they just won every major award a Jewish children’s book can win.
OK, maybe not EVERY award, but a lot of them. And it is well deserved! On the first page Goldberg establishes that this candle, while marking a special occasion, is not celebratory like birthday or Hanukkah candles. It is also distinct from the candles I’ve seen being lit at bar mitzvahs in a lot of movies and television shows. I am not sure where those “come up and light a candle” ceremonies originate from, since they are completely alien to my personal community, so I’ll leave the pontificating on whether they are distantly related to mourning candles to someone with more familiarity with the custom. I can, however, speak to yahrtzeit candles. They are special 24 hour candles lit to mark the anniversary of a loved ones death day, and I learned from my readers that people from many cultures could relate to this desire to spread light in a time of mourning.
The Remembering Candle is that rare one two punch where both the text and the illustrations both blew me away. Goldberg kindly and gently introduces children to the Jewish concept that someone’s memory is for a blessing. The main character is sad that his grandfather passed away a year ago, but he and his family spend a very meaningful day remembering everything they loved about him as the candle burns lower. Meanwhile, Alko’s illustrations are like nothing I have seen before in a picture book. She uses mixed media to create a textured, layered effect that evokes memory. Bits of newspaper peak out from behind paint, and each picture shows the bittersweet sadness that exists when we peel away the layers of our history along with the layers of wax on the candle.
The Remembering Candle tackles a difficult topic with a sensitive and relevant story paired with jaw dropping illustrations. It is a truly special book and I think it makes a wonderful gift. Does that sound morbid? Giving a book about death to small children and their parents? Well, that’s how good this book is. I am so certain the recipient will love it. As I learned on social media, people want to connect with us and our traditions, especially the lesser known ones. Shine a little light and let them in.
Note: BookishlyJewish received a copy of this book from the publisher.