Yiddish with Dick and Jane

Overview

Jane is in real estate.

Today is Saturday.

Jane has an open house.

She must schlep the Open House signs to the car.

See Jane schlep.

Schlep, Jane. Schlep.

Schlep, schlep, schlep.

In text that captures the unque rhythms of the original Dick and Jane readers, and in 35 all-new illustrations, a story unfolds in which Dick and Jane--hero and heroine of the classic books for children that generations of Americans have used when learning to read--manage to express shades of feeling and nuances of meaning that ordinary English just can't deliver. How? By speaking Yiddish, employing terms that convey an attitude--part plucky self-assertion, part ironic fatalism. When Dick schmoozes, when Jane kvetches, when their children fress noodles at a Chinese restaurant, the clash of cultures produces genuine hilarity.

Editorial Reviews

Dick and Jane are all grown up, and they're living in the real world-and it's full of tsuris (troubles). That's the premise of this hilarious little book, which functions both as a humorous tale and a genuine guide to a language with a sentiment and world view all its own. Jane is married to Bob and has two perfect children. Dick schmoozes with business people over golf: "Schmooze, Dick. Schmooze...." Their sister, Sally, who teaches a course in "Transgressive Feminist Ceramics," can see that life is not perfect, even though dear Dick and Jane cannot. Their mother has a stroke ("Oy vey, Jane," says Dick when he learns the news). Bob's best friend's wife is having an affair because the best friend himself is gay ("'Tom is more than gay, Sally,' says Dick. 'He is overjoyed.'... 'Oy Gotenyu oh, God help us,' sighs Sally.") And purse dealers take advantage of the gullible. The brief story is priceless, but the equally funny glossary is a great reference to which readers can return any time they need the right Yiddish word-or whenever they need to determine whether the jerk they just saw is a putz, a schmo or a schmuck.
Copyright (c) Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Author Information

Bio of Barbara Davilman

BARBARA DAVILMAN began her career in NY in advertising and then went on to create a greeting card company, Bittersweet, that dealt exclusively with relationships gone bad. After that, she moved to Los Angeles to become a TV writer/producer. Along with her husband, Ellis Weiner, she co-authored YIDDISH WITH DICK & JANE, YIDDISH WITH GEORGE & LAURA, and HOW TO RAISE A JEWISH DOG. In her 'spare' time she writes and produces reality television and is the Los Angeles Co-Coordinator for Ridgeback Rescue.

Bio of Ellis Weiner

Ellis Weiner has been an editor of National Lampoon, a columnist for Spy, and a contributor to many magazines, including The New Yorker and the New York Times Magazine. He lives in Pennsylvania. Barbara Davilman lives in Los Angeles, where she writes for television.

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Additional Info

Imprint

Little Brown & Company

Filesize

3.86 MB

Number of Pages

112

eBook ISBN

9780316025553