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Hanukkah is a joyous holiday especially when the children are young. There are long-held traditions, and now a new one, thanks to Lansing author Carolyn Greenwald. She and illustrator Suzy Hill are behind 'The Gelt Giving Golem', a children's book they hope families with children of all ages will embrace. To make that happen the two women have formed a company to market and sell the book.

"We're having the most success right now with stores and sales," Greenwald says. "We thought driving traffic to our Web site would be the main way of selling it, but we're showing the book to people and they say, 'Oh that's cute. We'll take two cases.' So the wholesale market is really driving our market right now."

In Jewish lore a golem is a creature that is created from clay. Golems have no will of their own, instead carrying out the will of their creator. This golem is a much friendlier version. After being created in Prague on the first night of Hanukkah by Rabbi ben Bezalel, the golem yearns for adventure.  He soon discovers, "Both goodness and chocolate are delicious, you see. They're best when together, they're great company!" He embarks on a career of giving chocolate Hanukkah gelt (coins) to reward good behavior, good listening, love and charity.

This story isn't just a book. A plush doll with velcro on its hands and feet is included in a specially designed box, and children are encouraged to give their golem a name, and to place him in unusual and fun places around the house.


Finding the right manufacturers was key to producing a high quality product. Greenwald and Hill auditioned printers and toy manufacturers. Greenwald went to the Book Expo of America to talk to the book manufacturer to meet them in person and talk about the project. She went through three doll manufacturers before finding the right one.

Greenwald had hoped to have the finished product in hand and ready to sell in August, but it took until October to get it just right. Insisting on good quality, it didn't occur to her that the quality could be too good. After seeing one proof she asked the manufacturer to take it back from glossy catalog quality to a more traditional high children's book quality. And then they had to come up with a box to house the golem doll and book.

"The box was challenging for the company," she says. "But they pulled it off great. I think they came out great."

Greenwald and Hill have named their company Suca Arts, LLC. The pair split the responsibilities, with Hill taking on the Web site and creating art for marketing. This year they are starting with a run of 1,000 units, concentrating on New York, Massachusetts, Long Island and New Jersey this year.

Greenwald has a few book signings scheduled. The book is a short story that wouldn't fill the time for a book reading, so she has developed a program she can present in which she talks about the golem and good deeds. She is also working on variations of the program for different audiences.

Even though their first product only became available for sale last month, Greenwald and Hill are already planning to expand the business. Greenwald says she hopes to sell out the first run, then bump up to a run of 3,000 units next year. She is already working on her next book, about deer in Ithaca, an homage to the city with a nod to 'Make Way For Ducklings.' And she is plotting her golem's next appearance.

"My dream is a movie," she says. "I grew up with all those Christmas movies. I could see this golem translating really well to a movie that could be direct marketed. For 99 cents you would be able to buy our 22 minute movie from our Web site. And you would watch it every Hanukkah. My kids love slapstick, and I can see a really funny Hanukkah slapstick movie where the golem falls into chocolate, there are misunderstandings... not a lot of dialog. Just a lot of physical humor."

Greenwald says she expects sales to pick up as Hanukkah draws nearer. That means her busiest selling season is about to start now.

"Do I start thinking abut Hanukkah before Halloween?," she reasons. "No. Do a lot of people? I don't think so. It's not like Christmas where it takes months of planning. So I would expect that we'll get the most sales between Thanksgiving and Hanukkah."

Greenwald and Hill's strategy is to turn the 'Gelt Giving Golem' into an annual tradition, something families will make a part of their Hanukkah routine year after year. Greenwald consciously tried to craft the book and the entire experience to span age groups, so families will repeat the experience -- like watching 'The Wizard of Oz' together every year. That suits their sales goals, as well as their goal to provide a fun experience for Jewish families every year.

"Some books you sell one year and then they never sell again," Greenwald says. "Our goal is longevity. There's a new 5 year old every year. Our idea is it's the same book but we can sell it for years."

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