Yiddish with Dick and Jane

I have given this adorable book to several people and I get a wonderful reaction. It's cheap and great, so I say this: ORDER 5 OF THEM TODAY and have a cute gift in your inventory. Next time you're invited for dinner, throw this in with the bottle of wine.

I grew up on Dick and Jane. I can still remember the first word I learned to read, "look." Dick and Jane, and their sister Baby Sally, lived in an idealized world, perfect for innocent first graders. In this amusing little book, the Yiddishisms are funny but the true parody is that of an adult Dick and Jane living in the real world of suburban assimilated Jews (replete with the requisite meal from a Chinese Restaurant). Typically, there is the free spirit of the family represented by Sally (remember Baby Sally?) who moved to Berkeley and is a feminist ceramics teacher. Sally has moved into the real world but Dick and Jane, and their equally innocent spouses, remamin clueless, not recognizing things going on around them such as extramarital affairs. The single funniest part of the book is where a disturbing discovery is accompanied by the caption "Oy gevalt." I will say no more about it so as not to spoil the effect.

...I pished, I plotzed! One of THE funniest things I've read in ages. I made a schmuck out of myself in the Barnes & Noble cafe, guffawing out loud and snorting a couple of times. People laughed and pointed at me, thinking I was meshuggah. Highly recommend this one.

Who knew Dick and Jane were Jewish? This little book is a good introduction to all those words we've heard on TV or in movies and wondered what they meant. Easy to read format helps too--"Schmooze, Dick, schmooze. Schmooze, schmooze, schmooze." I liked it, the illustrations look like they came from an old Dick and Jane reader, with a few variations. Recommended for gentiles everywhere.

In 1927, Dick and Jane began to teach American kids to read through repetition. So, nu? Vo den? Who knew they knew Yiddish, too? I am sure their parents could schep nachas had they known. I know what you're thinking. Oh, some fancy schmancy authors sprinkled Dick and Jane with a smattering of Yiddish. Schtuss. You'd be tsedreyt in kop if you think that way. This "primer" has a very interesting and surprising plot. In this retelling of a tale, Jane shines and doesn't play second fiddle to Dick. Jane is married to a mensch, Bob, and they have two lovely kids, as well as a dog and cat. Bob is a tad naïve. Jane works in real estate with her boss Stanley, and Stanley is very good at staging homes for sale. Dick is also married with kids, and loves to golf with Tom. Tom has a penchant golf clubs. Now an adult, Sally has moved out to Berkeley, where she is a confident feminist, but she has tsurris. But who doesn't? Even the Jamaican nursemaid the family hires for mom has tsurris (and some good herbs). So do yourself a favor. Order in some Chinese, and read this primer with the whole mishpacha. The authors, one of whom worked for National Lampoon, include a 20 page glossary of terms which is as good as the story text.