In Stockholm in 1978, two days after delivering his Nobel lecture, Isaac Bashevis Singer presented a top-ten list of the reasons he wrote for children. He had first shared a version of the list at the National Book Award ceremony in 1970, and it is no less an aesthetic statement than his formal Nobel lecture. Number one read, “Children read books, not reviews. They don’t give a hoot about the critics.” His tenth reason was that children “don’t expect their beloved writer to redeem humanity. Young as they are, they know that it is not in his power. Only the adults have such childish illusions.” We’ll return to some of his other reasons below.
Though Singer is intentionally absent from the book, both his top-ten list and the Nobel lecture came to mind while reading Miriam Udel’s fantastic new anthology of Yiddish children’s literature. 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. Despite its deep scholarly implications, it always remains an engaging book for families to enjoy together.
Read Full Article »