Agnon's Alef Bet: Poems
An Association of Jewish Librarians Best of the Bunch Book\ Known for his ability to evoke the rich imagery of the Bible and ancient Israel, Nobel Laureate S. Y. Agnon created a witty poem for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Imaginative illustrations and dual-language Hebrew-English text make Agnon’s Alef Bet a much-treasured collection.\ \ \ Presents poetry based on the Hebrew alphabet with one poem for each letter.\
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These twenty-two classic poems, written by Nobel Laureate S.Y> Agnon, are now available for the first time in English in this beautiful collection. Known for his rare ability to evoke the rich imagery of the Bible and ancient Israel, Agnon created a witty poem for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Gifted poet Robert Friend faithfully translated the original poems and has provided annotated notes to help readers unfamiliar with Hebrew to better understand the nuances and wordplay so distinct to Agnon's work. Award-winning artis Arieh Zeldich's striking and imaginative illustrations make this a collection to be treasured by children and adults alike. Children's Literature Agnon's poems are apparently difficult to understand in his native Hebrew. Puns, plays on words' meanings and significance, are wrapped up in wonderful, meaningful poetry. To attempt a translation of them into English, and for children, is a monumental task. But Robert Friend has worked wonders with this beautiful volume. The illustrations are exquisite, from the cover, where animals are shown reading large volumes (of poetry?) to Joseph's brothers, Abel with a lamb, Noah and a dove, an Ape trying to learn, to modern children playing under a palm tree. The alphabet in question is the Hebrew aleph-bet, and Agnon used the letters to suggest either the subjects of the poems (Gimel sounds like Camel) or as an alliterative device (Miriam, Moses, mayim (water, in Hebrew, which unfortunately doesn't fit in English.) A page of "translator's notes" clarifies things a little. The original Hebrew is included after the notes.
\ Children's Literature\ - Judy Silverman\ Agnon's poems are apparently difficult to understand in his native Hebrew. Puns, plays on words' meanings and significance, are wrapped up in wonderful, meaningful poetry. To attempt a translation of them into English, and for children, is a monumental task. But Robert Friend has worked wonders with this beautiful volume. The illustrations are exquisite, from the cover, where animals are shown reading large volumes (of poetry?) to Joseph's brothers, Abel with a lamb, Noah and a dove, an Ape trying to learn, to modern children playing under a palm tree. The alphabet in question is the Hebrew aleph-bet, and Agnon used the letters to suggest either the subjects of the poems (Gimel sounds like Camel) or as an alliterative device (Miriam, Moses, mayim (water, in Hebrew, which unfortunately doesn't fit in English.) A page of "translator's notes" clarifies things a little. The original Hebrew is included after the notes.\ \
