Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan’s Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants by Norman H. Finkelstein, illustrated by Vesper Stamper

Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan’s Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants by Norman H. Finkelstein, illustrated by Vesper Stamper. Holiday House, 2024. 9780823451647

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4.5

Format: Hardcover picture book

Genre: Biography

What did you like about the book? Abe Cahan emigrated to the U.S. in 1882 and became an important force in the lives of Jewish immigrants in New York City. He was a progressive voice that advocated for workers and the poor and brought connection to many through his novels and especially his Yiddish language newspaper Forverts, or, the Jewish Daily Forward. It was fascinating to learn that in his newspaper, Cahan taught readers about American institutions that they may not have understood, such as baseball and voting in elections. I was charmed to learn about a column in the newspaper called Bintel Brief (Bundle of Letters) where readers could write in and ask for advice on daily concerns of life, such as the one a fourteen year old girl submitted about how to continue her education when her family was poor and needed her income.

Charming gouache artwork illustrates life in the tenements of New York and the people who lived there. The text is an excellent introduction to this interesting and important figure in Jewish life of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Back matter adds more detail to Cahan’s life, the Yiddish language, and includes a time line, bibliography and additional sources. This is an excellent biography to add to early elementary school biography collections to shine a light on the assimilation on Jewish immigrants.

Anything you didn’t like about it? No

To whom would you recommend this book? For fans of non fiction picture books, ages 4-8.

Who should buy this book? This is an excellent biography to add to early elementary school and public library biography collections, especially where additional books on Jewish Americans are needed.

Where would you shelve it? Biography

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? No

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Stephanie Tournas, Robbins Library, Arlington, MA

Date of review: June 9, 2024