Even as women’s participation in Yiddish cultural heritage is a well-researched problem, the relationship between children and Yiddish literature and the question of how children's literature developed in this language remain neglected topics. Thus, preparing a selection of children's literature translated from Yiddish into English is a daunting but valuable undertaking. Miriam Udel has performed the extensive research to assemble these texts into a representative volume.
Dr. Heidi Stern:
Honey On the Page presents Jewish fairy tales told by prominent and less well-known Yiddish writers in excellent English translations.
Laura Watkinson, In Geveb:
This rightly named treasury, Miriam Udel’s Honey on the Page, features almost fifty literary works, ranging from folktales to poetry, and from an entertaining story about the angry alef-beys to fascinating historical accounts and the adventures of Khaver Paver’s Labzik the clever pup...[O]ne of the most impressive books I’ve read in a long time.
Julia L. Mickenberg, author of American Girls in Red Russia:
There is much in this wonderful collection for Jewish parents who want to give their children a taste of Jewish folk culture. But what stands out are the tales emphasizing the radical Jewish heritage that is inseparable from the linguistic culture that is Yiddishkeit, the inflections of which are faithfully cap- tured in Udel’s translations: stories about Labzik, the proletarian puppy (by the great Khaver Paver); about a child whose willingness to sacrifice all his toys for the sake of peace convinces the ruler of his country to give up war (“A Boy and His Samovar”); and about birds who refuse to sing until all the caged birds in their city are freed (“The Birds Go on Strike”). Udel’s excellent introduction and her selections from out-of-print books and magazines published throughout the Jewish diaspora provide a fascinating survey of Yiddish children’s literature
Bill Johnston, Professor of Comparative Literature, Indiana University, and award-winning translator:
These stories are a delight! Udel’s translations bring them to life with verve, humor, and stunning lin- guistic resourcefulness. She skillfully modulates her English from story to story, poem to poem, creating a series of distinct, memorable voices—no mean feat with such a broad range of texts, authors, and moods. With this book in hand, no-one will feel “too little-kid-ish / To pick up a story / And read it in Yiddish”—or in this case, in Udel’s warm, sure-handed, joyful English-language renderings. Sheer pleasure for readers of all ages
Rachel Barenbaum, author of A Bend in the Stars:
Brimming with magic and wisdom, Honey on the Page is brilliant not only for its lyrical translations but also for its broad collection of tales. Discrete sections guide the reader back in time through myriad aspects of Jewish life, from glittering holidays and heroes to secular and observant experiences. The twists and turns of morality and history are revealed not only in these incandescent stories but also through Udel’s meticulous research. The biographies of each author are gems in their own right that shine as bright as her translations
Jeremy Dauber, Atran Professor of Yiddish Language, Literature and Culture, Columbia University:
A modern classic of Jewish children’s literature. Miriam Udel has opened wide the treasure chest of Yiddish tales for the young, and parents and children of all ages are in her debt.
Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, author of Nurture the Wow:
Honey on the Page is an extraordinary collection, an enchanted time capsule that makes the richness of Yiddish children’s literature available to English readers as never before. It is a gift for all—one that will move, delight, and enlighten every reader.
Longing for tales from mamaloshen, but aren’t fluent in the Yiddish language? This collection of some 50 stories, fables, poems and more, translated into English, will likely make you smile.
This thematically arranged anthology of Yiddish children’s literature in translation brings to the readers of English an eye-opening array of often little known authors and their beguiling stories. If all you (or your students) know of Yiddish culture is 'Fiddler on the Roof' in this book you’ll discover stories, fables and folklore from New York and Latin America in addition to he expected shtetl tales. The book would be excellent for an intrepid younger reader, as well as a rich resource for educators and researchers.
There are many gems in this collection...Honey on the Page: A Treasury of Yiddish Children’s Literature is highly recommended for both children and adults.
Parents will read stories from Honey on the Page aloud until their children can read by themselves, and most stories are simple, yet clever and subtle enough for every age.
Miriam Udel, a scholar of German and Jewish studies at Emory University, has gifted the world with a treasure of a book that introduces readers of all ages to the wealth of little-known Jewish children’s stories by more than 25 early 20th century Yiddish writers, including Sholem Asch, Zina Rabinowitz and Mordkhe Spektor. The rich anthology, perfect for reading aloud, is a keeper to return to over the years.
A welcome and important addition to any home or school library...wonderfully translated and impeccably edited anthology of almost 50 Yiddish tales.
Honey on the Page is an expertly translated, whimsically illustrated selection of lesser-known Yiddish stories and poems for children. Like the best anthologies, it is an eye-opening work of literary history, gleefully introducing a sea of lightly known authors through both their work and meticulously crafted biographical sketches.
Miriam Udel’s essential, rich collection of Yiddish tales revives the appealing stories that early twentieth century Jewish children were told as introductions to their history and tradition.
These twentieth-century pieces...range from magical holiday stories to wonder-filled ballads to silly tales featuring the fools of Chelm. A perfect resource for families or religious school read-alouds.
An extensive collection of Yiddish literary texts for children translated into English, this anthology contains works from familiar as well as not so widely known Yiddish language writers... [A] comprehensive and valuable set of stories and poetry.
