Young Aaron wants to learn how to speak to the chickens like his Zayde (grandfather). Zayde's stories and his many books, with their mysterious worlds and their guarded secrets, fascinate Aaron. But always Aaron is too young to learn Yiddish. Zayde thinks that Aaron, and all the new generation of American Jews, should speak English and play baseball–just like all Americans do. When Zayde becomes very old and can no longer see well enough to read his precious books, Aaron decides it is time that Zayde teach him to speak to the chickens before it's too late. This poignant tale about preserving a dying language and the memories of the people who spoke it is also an eloquent tale of America. The importance of heritage and culture, and of honoring the past while building a future, is instilled in young minds through this touching story. Grades 2-4--A tribute to Yiddish books and to Aaron Lansky, founder of the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA, this is an ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful picture book. Zayde (Grandfather) comes to live with the fictional Aaron's family, bringing along his beloved books. When the boy asks his grandfather to teach him Yiddish, the man inexplicably tells the child that he is "too young for Yiddish," and that in America, "Jews should speak English just like everyone else." As the boy grows up, the two share a love of baseball. When Aaron is an adult, Zayde, now a very old man, throws his collection in the trash, saying, "For Yiddish it is the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and no one on base." Aaron retrieves the books and learns to read them with the help of his grandfather; later, he shares them with his own son. While the subject is interesting and unusual, the point of view is adult and nostalgic. A stilted style and Waldman's static watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations keep young readers at an even greater distance. Rendered in monotonous tans and grays, they depict Jews and the Eastern-European culture in stereotypical shtetl images that distort their vitality and variety. Linda R. Silver, Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, OH Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Ages 5-9. The Yiddish language and the people who speak it are the heart of the story in this moving picture book, which, like Yiddish books, is bound back to front. When Aaron asks to learn Yiddish, Zayde ( grandfather in Yiddish) says that English is the language to learn in America. He says that in the Old Country, Jews were forced to be separate: America is a rich soup where everyone mixes. Then years later, Zayde finds that "the soup has lost its flavor," and he throws away his Yiddish books. Aaron, grown up now, saves the books, learns the language, and teaches it to his young son. The historical notes are as interesting as the fiction, and there's a lengthy glossary to explain the Yiddish terms. Waldman's watercolor-and-pen pictures in shades of brown are like old sepia photos; they beautifully capture Zayde's shtetl memories, both rich and wrenching, as well as the embrace of family in the new country. Older children may enjoy talking about the culture issues raised by the story: Does the soup lose its flavor when everyone is the same? How important is the language we speak? Hazel Rochman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Ages 5-9. The Yiddish language and the people who speak it are the heart of the story in this moving picture book, which, like Yiddish books, is bound back to front. When Aaron asks to learn Yiddish, Zayde (grandfather in Yiddish) says that English is the language to learn in America. He says that in the Old Country, Jews were forced to be separate: America is a rich soup where everyone mixes. Then years later, Zayde finds that "the soup has lost its flavor," and he throws away his Yiddish books. Aaron, grown up now, saves the books, learns the language, and teaches it to his young son. The historical notes are as interesting as the fiction, and there's a lengthy glossary to explain the Yiddish terms. Waldman's watercolor-and-pen pictures in shades of brown are like old sepia photos; they beautifully capture Zayde's shtetl memories, both rich and wrenching, as well as the embrace of family in the new country. Older children may enjoy talking about the culture issues raised by the story: Does the soup lose its flavor when everyone is the same? How important is the language we speak? Hazel Rochman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --Booklist Grades 2-4--A tribute to Yiddish books and to Aaron Lansky, founder of the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA, this is an ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful picture book. Zayde (Grandfather) comes to live with the fictional Aaron's family, bringing along his beloved books. When the boy asks his grandfather to teach him Yiddish, the man inexplicably tells the child that he is "too young for Yiddish," and that in America, "Jews should speak English