"… America is like soup. Everyone mixes together…." Young Aaron wants to learn how to speak to the chickens like his Zayde (grandfather) said the shochet (butcher) did in the Old Country. Zayde's stories and his many books, with their mysterious worlds and their guarded secrets, fascinate Aaron. But always Aaron is too young to learn Yiddish. Zayde thinks that Aaron, and all the new generation of American Jews, should speak English and play baseball–just like all Americans do. When Zayde becomes very old and can no longer see well enough to read his precious books, Aaron decides it is time that Zayde teach him to speak to the chickens before it's too late. This poignant tale about preserving a dying language and the memories of the people who spoke it is also an eloquent tale of America. The importance of heritage and culture, and of honoring the past while building a future, is instilled in young minds through this touching story. Neil Waldman's warm, evocative illustrations elicit a sense of nostalgia and personal pride for readers young and old.
