Alison Goldberg, Author

National Jewish Book Award Winner

Sydney Taylor Notable Book

Julia Ward Howe Notable Book

A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year for 2026

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

STARRED REVIEW

“In this quietly reverent tale by Goldberg, a candle lit to observe the anniversary of a loved one’s death gives a family the opportunity for reminiscence. As the young narrator notes, yahrzeit is a Yiddish word meaning “time of year.” In lighting the candle, Mom explains, “We’ll let it burn all night and then all day tomorrow until sunset, until it’s all gone.” As the protagonist wonders why the candle burns for so long, the family begins to recall Grandpa—his scratchy beard, his hat, his love of trivia and the night sky (“He said that light from stars travels to reach us from far away”). And more memories surface as the child checks on the candle’s progress. Alko’s multimedia illustrations have the feel of a carefully compiled scrapbook, layering visual grace notes throughout this bittersweet narrative about a treasured ritual. The Jewish characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Back matter includes creators’ notes.”—Publishers Weekly

STARRED REVIEW

“Following Jewish custom, a family lights a yahrzeit candle to commemorate the anniversary of the grandfather’s death. The parents and children fill the 24 hours the candle burns with memories of Grandpa. Goldberg uses sensory language to make both the memories and the candle itself more vivid. Soon after the candle is lit, the six-year-old narrator remembers Grandpa’s “scratchy beard and how he always wore a hat” and notes that “Mom says my eyes come from him.” At the same time, he points out, “The candle hasn’t melted much, but the top looks soft.” Alko’s mixed-media illustrations use collage techniques, acrylic paint, and pencils to evoke the feeling of memory, alongside the slowly burning yahrzeit candle. The back matter provides additional information about yahrzeits, other Jewish memorial traditions, and the Jewish calendar, which is used to determine the date of a yahrzeit. This book will be very helpful to children whose families already use yahrzeit candles to remember loved ones, and the gentle framing may suggest special ways for any family to adopt this tradition as well. A beautiful presentation of a custom that explores its many layers of meaning.”— Miriam Aronin, Booklist

STARRED REVIEW

“A little boy with brown skin and his family are observing the Jewish custom of remembering, or yahrzeit, in this case his grandfather on the anniversary of his death. The ritual begins at sundown, as most Jewish holy days do, with the lighting of a special candle. The boy’s sister, who has tan skin, wants to blow it out, but their mother says that a memorial candle is not to be blown out; rather, it burns for 24 hours while they are remembering their grandfather. Their dad sets up a trivia game because Grandpa liked to play it, and they set up a telescope to look through because Grandpa liked to do that, too. The boy remembers Grandpa teaching him how to find the constellations. At bedtime, the mom tells a story from her childhood where Grandpa took care of her when she was sick. First thing the next morning, the boy checks on his grandfather’s candle. At lunchtime, they eat foods that Grandpa loved. Goldberg’s text is simple enough for young children to understand, but informative enough for all readers to engage in the story. Alko’s appealing illustrations complement the text perfectly, and she weaves Hebrew words throughout as part of the design. Back matter contains more information about yahrzeit and other Jewish memorial traditions, as well as details about the Jewish calendar.

VERDICT This is a first purchase not only because of its high quality, but also because of the scarcity of children’s books about the Jewish memorial custom of yahrzeit.”—Jennifer Sontag, School Library Journal

“On the anniversary of Grandpa’s death, a Jewish family observes the tradition of yahrzeit by lighting a candle to honor his memory. The candle burns over the next 24 hours while everyone shares stories about Grandpa, creating new memories as each reminiscence connects to an activity he used to enjoy. As the family members use a telescope to gaze at the night sky, the nameless young protagonist recalls Grandpa explaining how to find the constellation Orion; sitting down at the piano is a reminder of how Mom used to play with Grandpa. The candle remains a constant throughout, burning a little more with each page turn and allowing readers to feel as though they’re part of the story. By book’s end, the candle’s extinguished, but the family keeps Grandpa’s memory bright. Goldberg’s poignant and beautifully crafted tale tackles the weighty issue of losing a loved one in a thoughtful and accessible age-appropriate way. Alko blends vibrant paintings and creative collage illustrations. A motif of white dots, hearts, and stars sprinkled throughout the book suggests the stars that Grandpa loves and invokes feelings of love for him. Some readers may wonder about the omission of the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer that is said over the dead. Still, few picture books explore yahrzeits, making this tale an especially welcome addition on the topic. The family members vary in skin tone.

A meaningful and sensitive celebration of life.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This is an important and beautiful book which models how children can be meaningfully included in yahrzeit observance.”—Sydney Taylor Shmooze

“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.”–Bookishly Jewish (Read the complete review at www.bookishlyjewish.com)

“This pic­ture book is high­ly rec­om­mend­ed for both par­ents and chil­dren and will be espe­cial­ly appre­ci­at­ed by any­one who has expe­ri­enced a loss.”—Jewish Book Council