Beautiful Yetta's Hanukkah Kitten

Yetta, the Pinkwaters' inimitable Yiddish-speaking, Brooklyn-dwelling chicken, is back in her second picture book, this time playing figurative mother hen and adoption agency for a stray kitten that she finds lost in a snowdrift. Yetta's Spanish-speaking wild parrots friends/nest mates are dubious at first: "Es un gato!" they exclaim. "Es iz a kind!" Yetta insists. "Lomir es geb esn" ("It is a baby! Let's feed it"). But they quickly come around and help Yetta find a good home during Hanukkah ("when the humans are in a good mood") for the kitty--who in turn reveals it can teach the parrots a thing or two about latkes. Jill Pinkwater's bright, freestyle drawings are as bighearted and chatty as the multilingual, multispecies text. Ages 3-7. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Oct.)

K-Gr 2--First introduced in Beautiful Yetta, the Yiddish Chicken (2010), the hen is still living in Brooklyn, the honorary mother to a flock of wild, Spanish-speaking parrots. One winter night, Yetta's maternal instinct kicks in again when she discovers a kitten in a snowdrift. "A ketseleh! A little cat!" says Yetta. "Helf mir mit ir. Help me take care of it," she says to the parrots, but they don't know what cats eat or where to take it. Besides, aren't they dangerous? Then they remember that it's Hanukkah, "cuando los humanos estan de buen humor! When the humans are in a good mood!" They take the kitten to an old grandmother who says to Yetta, "Redstu Yidish, hinel? You speak Yiddish, chicken?" and then feeds them all latkes. Not much more happens, but that's hardly the point. Aside from the obvious nod to a mingling of languages and cultures, this is a book that begs to be read aloud, if for no other reason than the humor that emerges from a recitation of the multilingual transliterations. Large, brightly colored illustrations in marker and ink set against a white background have a comic quality that complements the minimal text. With almost no information about the actual holiday, this is not a book for Hanukkah novices, but for those looking for something fun to read during the festivities (think reader's theater.) It should have everyone saying "A frayleken Chanukah! Un feliz Hanukkah! A Happy Hanukkah!"--Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

"This is a book that begs to be read aloud." —"School Library Journal"

"Jill Pinkwater's bright, freestyle drawings are as bighearted and chatty as the multilingual, multispecies text." —"Publishers Weekly"

..". The Pinkwaters have crafted a tale of friendship and caring, this time with a festive holiday touch . . . A Hanukkah gift for readers and eaters." —"Kirkus Reviews"

Praise for "Beautiful Yetta"

"It's classic Pinkwater: funny, weird, touching, and all about the joys of being sideways to reality...Daniel Pinkwater is a "genius.""""—Corey Doctorow

"Fresh and nostalgic, the story is told in three languages—English, Yiddish (Yetta's native tongue, so to speak) and Spanish (those real-life Brooklyn parrots had to come from somewhere). Pluck is really the name of the game." —"The San Francisco Chronicle"

"Dedicated fans of the Pinkwaters will appreciate the offbeat, wry humor, as will those interested in the many urban legends surrounding Brooklyn's flocks of wild parrots." —"School Library Journal"

"An irreverent picture book that ingeniously combines three languages...Part immigrant story, part language lesson, and consistently fun, the Pinkwaters' newest tale reminds children that if you are confident in who you are and where you come from, friends will never be far away." —"Jewish Journal of Los Angeles"

"The real entertainment derives from the polyglot nature of the avians here...While occasionally there's a little joke in the translation itself (Yetta's hearty "Gevalt!" is translated demurely as "Oh, dear"), this isn't so much humor of misunderstanding as humor of the widely, even linguistically, divergent joining forces (the parrots' awed Spanish exclamations about Yetta's astounding beauty are deliciously absurd)." —"BCCB"

"Jill Pinkwater's hues squawk off the spacious pages with riotous energy, while unexpected shapes and perspectives rev up the action... what a find!" —"Horn Book Magazine"

"""One of the most charming, huggable books I've ever read." —"Hudson Valley News"

"""plenty of fun to be had...the Pinkwaters are to be applauded for expanding readers' Yiddish lexicon beyond simple phrases." —"Publishers Weekly"

..".breathlessly ingenuous narration...A delicious, loopy romp to savor whether it's Friday or not. Truly!" —"Kirkus Reviews, " starred review

"""A warm twist on the immigration story that celebrates the richness of urban diversity." —"Booklist"

"This story speaks to the child who's new to a country, new to a neighborhood, or who simply finds himself on the outside looking for a way in. Yetta may be out of her element, but she knows who she is and acts with confidence. Brava!" —"Shelf Awareness"