Labzik: Tales of a Clever Pup

The adventures of a brave, big-hearted underdog and the close-knit, working-class family that adopts him in 1930s New York City.

After being adopted by Berl the sewing machine operator, Labzik the pup has everything he needs—food and water, a little bed to sleep in, and a caring family. But Labzik wants to do something—to work hard, help his humans, and make the world a better place. Join Labzik as he sniffs out trouble, stands up to bullies, and learns important lessons about the struggle for equality.

A long-lost Yiddish classic at last made fully available in English, Miriam Udel’s lively translation of Chaver Paver’s Labzik features the original illustrations by Louis Bunin, new artwork by Ryan Bradburn, and an afterword and glossary to help guide readers. Filled with humor and heart, these twelve tales tackle themes of injustice that still resonate today, offering kids and grown-ups alike a lovable, woofing-class hero for our times.

Chaver Paver, the penname of leftist Yiddish writer Gershon Einbinder (1901–1964), was born in present-day Ukraine and fled to Romania before emigrating to New York City and settling eventually in Los Angeles. Best known for his stories and plays for children, especially Labzik: Tales of a Clever Pup, published in 1935, he also taught in the school network established by the International Workers Order. Miriam Udel is Professor of Yiddish Literature and Culture at Emory University. She is the author of Modern Jewish Worldmaking Through Yiddish Children’s Literature and Honey on the Page: A Treasury of Yiddish Children’s Literature.

Praise

“This sparkling translation vaults us back almost a century, to a time when Yiddish-speaking leftists were unafraid to evoke a stark vision of right and wrong in their efforts to raise mensches. I turned into a mensch just reading this book! And the fact that the book’s hero is a dog made me barking mad with joy.” — Gary Shteyngart, author of Vera, or Faith

“These magnificent stories are funny, sharp, and deeply compassionate. Labzik stands (on four paws) for what’s right. He shows solidarity with the working class, displays bravery in the face of oppression, and demonstrates a profound, protective love for his human companions. But more than anything, to me Labzik represents hope.” — Miriam Anzovin, creator of Jewish Lore Reactions

“Reader, say hello to Labzik, pup hero of the Depression, fighting alongside Berl, Molly, Rifka, and Mulik for worker’s rights, affordability, and free school lunches while taking on, though not always successfully, police brutality, racism, and political corruption. Marvelously translated from the Yiddish by Miriam Udel, Chaver Paver’s Labzik: Tales of A Clever Pup should take its rightful place alongside such classic pioneers of Jewish children’s literature as Sadie Rose Weilerstein’s The Adventures of K’tonton, published the same year as Labzik, and, a generation later, Sydney Taylor’s All-of-a-Kind Family. Like the former, it combines the proper blend of mischief and Jewish-based morality, and like the latter, it gives us a realistic portrait of the times, when Jewish politics had everything to do with culture and education.” — Richard Michelson, author of One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor