Hear Me Roar! I’m a HANUKKAHsaur Virtual Book Tour, Author Interview, and Giveaway

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!

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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.

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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!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write this story?

Naomi Gruer - I’m a preschool teacher, and I had a class of kids who pretended to be dinosaurs. When one of the preschoolers wore a sweatshirt with a “Menorah-saur,” a dinosaur with Hanukkah candles instead of spikes, the seed was planted.

Life Is What It's Called - What do you think readers will like most about this story?

Naomi Gruer - I think kids will appreciate Miles’ big, dino energy and how he wants to participate in Hanukkah festivities. I hope kids and their families enjoy the book’s search-and-find, flipping back through the pages to look for the dino figurines sprinkled throughout.

Life Is What It's Called - What lessons will readers learn from this story?

Naomi Gruer - Kids love to help and even if messes are made, it’s okay.

Life Is What It's Called - What have you learned from writing this story?

Naomi Gruer - As a writer, I’ve learned how rewarding it is to collaborate with an editor and illustrator. As an author, I’ve learned that excitement over the book’s debut is contagious.

Life Is What It's Called - What do you want readers to know about you?

Naomi Gruer - Just like Miles, I have big, dino energy and make mistakes and messes, too. But once I fix mistakes and clean up, I move on. Big energy is fun energy!



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.

This post is sponsored by Naomi Gruer. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal views. Or: Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to share my opinion.