Yiddish Poetry Book Wins First Prize at International Children’s Book Fair

A Polish book on the Yiddish alphabet has won the main prize at one of the most important international events dedicated to the children’s publishing and multimedia industry around the world – the Bologna Children's Book Fair.

The book, Majn Alef Bejs [My Alef Beys], with Yiddish poems written by Jehoszua Kaminski (b. 1884) and stunning illustrations by Urszula Palusinska, won first prize in the nonfiction category. Each poem has two Polish translations. The rhyming version by Wojciech Wilczyk is based on a literal translation by Karolina Szymaniak, holder of YIVO’s 2013-2014 Dina Abramowicz Emerging Scholar Fellowship.

The book was produced by the Krakow-based CZULENT Jewish association with funding from three organizations and 50 private donors.

Read more about Majn Alef Bejs.

There is a long tradition of beautifully illustrated Yiddish children’s books.

Explore digitized examples of Yiddish children’s books in YIVO’s Library.