Kibitzers and Fools

by Simms Taback

A It pays to have a little chutzpah (nerve). With Old World charm, universal humor, and just a bit of chutzpah, Simms Taback offers this lively spin on thirteen playful tales—as only he could. Paired with his trademark vibrant and hilarious artwork, these stories illustrate ultimate universal truths and important life lessons, from the difference between a shlemiel and a shlimazel to the idea that just because you can talk doesn’t mean you make sense.Taback delivers the perfect combination of wisdom and humor—just the way your zayda (grandpa) would.

Genres: Picture Books, Jewish, Childrens, Humor, Folk Tales, Cultural, Fiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 8, 2005

About the author

Simms Taback was an American writer, graphic artist, and illustrator of more than 35 books. He won the 2000 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration, recognizing Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, and was a runner-up in 1998 for There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taback takes several well known Yiddish stories to illustrate Jewish sayings. If you have read any of Leo Rosten's books, most of these will be well known to you. However, I did not know the final story based in the mythical village of Chelm. As with any Chelm story, the logic is unique to Chelmites! This was a lot of fun to read and to look at the marvelous illustrations.

[Tiffiny · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kids are half Jewish so I thought this one would be fun, but they didn't enjoy it so much. My husband and I did though. :)

[David]

This book makes the Jewish world a better place because it preserves some quick Yiddish tales in English after being peppered with a good helping of colorful Yiddish words like shmendrick, shlemiel, and shlamazal. My five year old laughed at a few of the stories thanks to the playful illustrations and funny situations. In addition to allowing me to share the joys of Yiddish culture with my kid, the book also was an excellent primer on humor in general. We even were able to make a little skit out of the story about the restaurant patron who asked the waiter to taste his soup as an indirect way of proving to the waiter that he needed a spoon - my kid loved saying the ending line where the customer declares "AHA!!" after the waiter discovers that the customer was complaining about the soup so the waiter would notice that there was no spoon to taste the soup. He also laughed about the grim Yiddish saying "When a chicken lays an egg, the egg gets taken. When a chicken does not lay an egg, the chicken gets eaten!"

[S10_Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kibitzers is a series of supposed old Jewish tales that come with lessons and lame punch lines. I always chide my Jewish grandfather for his litany of horrible jokes with inane lessons, but I had not yet read this storybook. I owe my grandfather an apology.

On the positive side, the use of Yiddish rang quite true. As I read, I remembered my grandparents using all of those phrases in similar context. Actually, it may have been overkill. Sometimes I wished that the author would have let the reader use some inference skills and figure out from context what the words all mean. I always had to as a child.

I thought the illustrations were cute and vivid, but very stereotypical Jewish. I know it's all in the spirit of telling old Jewish folk tales, but not everyone decades ago dressed and danced like they were on the set of Fiddler on the Roof.

Maybe I've just been overexposed to this culture, and it's a good way to introduce elementary school outsiders to these Jewish stories. Or maybe these stories would be annoying to everyone. I know the Jewish people have brought comedy much farther than this!

[Doria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and varied collection of Jewish jokes and stories appropriate for kids and their families. What’s especially neat about this book is that it includes a lot of Yiddish sayings, a Glossary defining terms, and specific stories and scenarios that hilariously illustrate the meaning of certain hard-to-translate Yiddish words. I’ve never seen a better (or funnier) way to differentiate between a Schlemiel and a Shlimazel!!

Did I mention that the illustrations are a stitch? Well, they are. Especially rewarding are the clever culturally relevant little details embedded in them, such as the replica of a Yiddish newspaper, and ever more Jewish jokes (can you have too many??). Great to read aloud and to thumb through.

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this! I love all the lil stories, some of which made me laugh out loud! The humor is so Jewish, I love it. Also the illustration style is so cool! There are lil fragments of photos and newspapers and book titles hidden in the illustrations! Highly recommended!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warm and fun, this is a treasure trove.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and cute life lessons

[Taylor Melum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Citation: Taback, S. (2005). Kibitzers and fools: Tales my Zayda told me. New York, N.Y.: Viking.
Genre: Children's literature
Format: Picture book
Reading level: 1-2
Theme/topic: Jewish culture
Gender: Male
Race/ethnicity: Jewish

Summary and critique:
Kibitzers and fools: Tales my Zayda told me is a compilation of different stories and sayings a young boy’s Jewish grandfather had told him. Some of the stories don't make sense because they are just funny things that have happened in the Jewish community and his grandfather wants to talk about it. Some of the stories teach a lesson in a silly way but it also taught readers many Yiddish words and traditions. Anytime there is a Yiddish word used the author makes sure to explain what it means in parenthesis and there is even a glossary too which many people would find helpful. Personally, I really enjoyed this book because it reminded me of stories my grandma would tell me that she learned from her Swedish grandparents.


In class activity: Since this book reflects the Jewish culture a student in class may find it to be very relatable and interesting. All of the students could read this book and then write a lesson they have been taught from someone they look up to.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is probably the funniest picture book that I've ever read! Kibitzers and Fools is presented as a series of comical Yiddish tales about people who are either impossibly foolish or impossibly nosy, though their absurd actions seem somehow to accurately reflect many of the kinds of people that one actually comes across in life! One can almost hear an audible rimshot at the end of some of these stories, the "punch line" is so sudden, unexpected and hilariously funny.

Author Simms Taback has drawn on his memory of the stories told to him by his Jewish Zayda (grandfather) in the compiling of this book, and it seems that both of them must be excellent storytellers. Kibitzers and Fools sparkles all the way through with wit and even an occasional surprising shard of wisdom. It is a terrific success for what it is, and I certainly would recommend it to anyone looking for a high-quality picture book. I would definitely consider giving two and a half stars to this book.

[Hannah Braunstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Kibitzers and Fools, Taback presents a series of Jewish folk stories all surrounding the theme, "Who is a kibitzer?" The stories are all humorous, with that specific brand of black humor so common to Jewish culture. For those who have never been exposed to this or with no knowledge of Eastern European Jewish life, the book could be very difficult to understand. Though Taback does place English definitions with each of the Yiddish phrases, the general humor and charm of the book rests on having some background knowledge. Personally, the book reminded me of a lot of stories and sayings passed down from my own family, and of course, the more famous stories (like the rabbi who stood on his head to study Torah) I know like the back of my hand. For those looking for a more well-rounded introduction to the folk stories and traditions of the culture, this may not be the best book. However, for the charm, fun, and silliness of Jewish folk stories, along with the unconventional drawings and sayings, this is the book to choose.

[Logan Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thirteen tales that are located within this book are filled with humorous and realistic tales of the Yiddish culture. Each tale has one or two Yiddish words that are translated within the story helping the reading follow along very easily. The amount of detail that went into this book is immense, and can be seen on the very first page. The stories take place in the author’s grandpa’s Polish town in the late 19th century. Each tale influenced the author’s grandpa in such a way that he felt obliged to further these stories by telling them to his grandson. One of the best tales in this book has to deal with kibitzers, or know-it-alls who get into a dispute on why a slice of bread with butter on it always lands buttered side up. The great dialogue between the two is so humorous and lively that the reader will not want to put the book down. This book is great for children and for families to sit down and read together.

[Anayssa Pulido · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a longer book filled with many short tales that are only about one or two pages each. These tales seem to be derived from Jewish tales. They all come with a lesson or hidden message in them. There were quite a few difficult words to pronounce (as we can see in the title) especially for younger children. The illustrations were great and we could really relate to the characters by looking at the face expressions. We can use this book in a classroom to get students to talk about some tales they have heard of within their own family and culture to bring cultural awareness in the classroom.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, interesting and funny book. The illustrations are abundant, rich and vivid, and use mixed-media. The tales have great points to make with their funny endings. It is a stereotypical view of religious and cultural Judaism, but positive and interesting nonetheless. They're also completely male-focused, which is perfectly fine, but I wish the book covered a diverse range of perspectives. I love how the stories incorporate learning of Yiddish words, some very common in American and others that are new to me. An enjoyable, light-hearted book for kids and adults.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compilation of short stories (the longest was a couple of pages long), each story containing Yiddish words (and explanations of their meanings) and a moral at the end. I enjoyed that they were stories that a grandfather taught his grandson. As I read folktales from different cultures, it was interesting to see the values each one depicted. This book seems to focus on the importance of not being a fool or of taking advice from fools.

[Kristen Herzog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kibitzers and Fools by Simms Taback is an entertaining book that is filled with short Yiddish stories. The stories are full of people who are either nosy or foolish. The illustrations are very colorful and help keep the stories lighthearted. Each tale contains Yiddish words including their meaning and end up sharing a moral message. This could be shared with all ages but younger children probably wouldn't understand the humor in the same way as an adult.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still great, but not our favorite of Simms Taback. Each story is 1-2 pages long, classic Yiddish stories (which we love), but they could add a bit more detail to be understandable for kids. I do like how he uses Yiddish words with English in parenthesis right behind it, which does make it easier to read than stumbling over pronunciation. Illustrations are great.

[Sharon Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has many different short tales about kibitzers. A kibitzer is someone who thinks they know better than others. They give advice when not asked and stick their nose in other people’s business. Throughout the different tales, the author has a kibitzer sharing their advice whether people want it or not.

Genre: Traditional Literature
Suggested ages: 8 to 12 years old

[Lesley Looper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute collection of Jewish stories, which help define some Yiddish words along the way. (There's also a one-page Yiddish glossary in the back of the book.) The illustrations are colorful and playful.

[Kami Huff · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Picture Book* I did not like this book a whole lot. It's a compilation of sayings used in Jewish culture. I just didn't understand a lot of it, probably because I'm not Jewish. The illustrations are a lot of fun though, and I could see a child finding them fun.

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

SYDNEY TAYLOR HONOR (2006)

Format: Picture book
Age level: Upper elementary and older
Protagonist: Varied

Brief Story: This is a picture book with various Jewish folktales. It's enjoyable to read, and the illustrationg are very bright, fun, and inviting.

[BookOfLife]

Hear an interview about Kibitzers & Fools and Joseph Had a Little Overcoat with author/illustrator Simms Taback on The Book of Life podcast's August 2006 episode at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fluff.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yiddish words weave into 13 tales.
"A chicken has no luck. If a chicken lays an egg. the egg gets eaten. If a chicken doesn't lay an egg, the chicken gets eaten."
A glossary of terms is included.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of short (1-3 pages ea) stories. Each story ends with a saying related to the story

[Cheryl Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a humorous book of tales that I read to my girls and we quite enjoyed it. It was silly and fun and very worth reading.

[Haley Hoenke · Rating 3 out of 5]

#social studies

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Golden. "All is not butter that comes from a cow." It's all that good.