"Nize Baby" is a cornerstone of American dialect humor, capturing the vibrant and rhythmic "Yinglish" spoken by Jewish immigrants in early 20th-century New York. Written and illustrated by the celebrated humorist and cartoonist Milt Gross, this collection of sketches and stories revolves around the daily lives of the Feitelbaum family and their neighbors in a Bronx apartment building. Central to the narrative is the persistent effort of a mother to coax her "nize baby" into eating dinner by recounting fractured, ...
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"Nize Baby" is a cornerstone of American dialect humor, capturing the vibrant and rhythmic "Yinglish" spoken by Jewish immigrants in early 20th-century New York. Written and illustrated by the celebrated humorist and cartoonist Milt Gross, this collection of sketches and stories revolves around the daily lives of the Feitelbaum family and their neighbors in a Bronx apartment building. Central to the narrative is the persistent effort of a mother to coax her "nize baby" into eating dinner by recounting fractured, phonetically-spelled versions of classic fairy tales and historical events. Through its unique linguistic style, the work offers a humorous yet affectionate look at the immigrant experience, blending slapstick comedy with domestic drama. The phonetic prose demands to be read aloud, preserving the auditory texture of a specific time and place in urban history. Gross's sharp wit and expressive illustrations bring to life the bustling atmosphere of the tenements, making "Nize Baby" not only a comedic masterpiece but also a significant cultural artifact of the Jewish-American literary tradition. Readers will find a delightful exploration of family dynamics, cultural adaptation, and the enduring power of storytelling within the community. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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Add this copy of Nize Baby: Gross Exaggerations to cart. $19.99, good condition, Sold by Bob's Book Journey rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austin, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1926 by George H. Doran Company.
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Seller's Description:
Good. No Jacket. Book. 12mo-over 6¾-7¾" tall. Orange hardback with red lettering and pictorial of "mama feeding baby" on front cover, red lettering on spine, xii, 207 pp., b/w cartoon drawings throughout. Yiddish humor from the Roaring Twenties. Moderate wear, no previous owner names, clean text, tight binding.
Add this copy of Nize Baby to cart. $26.96, fair condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES.
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Seller's Description:
Acceptable. Acceptable condition. No Dust Jacket (humor, yiddish) A readable, intact copy that may have noticeable tears and wear to the spine. All pages of text are present, but they may include extensive notes and highlighting or be heavily stained. Includes reading copy only books.
Add this copy of Nize Baby to cart. $27.00, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2026 by Tradd Street Press.
Add this copy of Nize Baby to cart. $32.00, fair condition, Sold by Quirky Used Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Albuquerque, NM, UNITED STATES, published 1926 by George H. Doran Company.
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Seller's Description:
Fair. Hardcover. No dust jacket. Orange cloth over boards with red printing, border and illustration on front, same with same except for illustration. Dirty cloth, with smudges and staining. Worn corners, and spine ends have wearing to cloth, although not threadbare. Small lettering and price stamp on rear EP. Smudges, small areas of soiling and thumbprints on pages. Sewn binding in fair shape. Interesting and fun illustrations by author accompany text. Chapter titles are a bit offbeat. This book is readable. 207 pages.
Add this copy of Nize Baby to cart. $37.30, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2026 by Tradd Street Press.
Add this copy of Nize Baby to cart. $44.93, fair condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES.
Add this copy of Nize Baby to cart. $48.00, very good condition, Sold by Singing Saw Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Portland, OR, UNITED STATES, published 1927 by Alfred A. Knopf.
Add this copy of Nize Baby to cart. $207.00, like new condition, Sold by Argosy Book Store rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from New York, NY, UNITED STATES, published 1926 by George H. Doran.
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Seller's Description:
Fine. Illustrated (b/w). 207 pages. 8vo., printed orange cloth. New York: George H. Doran, (1926). First edition. Fine. Signed by the author on half-title: "Gradually Milt Gross".
Add this copy of Nize Baby to cart. $22.95, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published by New York: George H. Doran Company, 1926.
Add this copy of Nize Baby to cart. $39.62, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1971 by Dover Publications Inc.
Supposedly written by a denizen of the early 20th Century lower east side New York City who recorded the verbatim conversations of his newly-arrived Eastern European neighbours as heard through the thin walls of his tenement, Nize Baby is a hilarious read. From the mother bribing her baby to eat his 'Shradded Whitt' breakfast by telling him 'De Ferry Tale From Keek Midas', to Isodore's father disciplining his son (So, Isadore, (WHACK!) again yoo vere stillink epples from de paddler, (WHACK!) alreddy? A tiff yool be, hah? (WHACK!) to the women gossiping about Freud and tsycle-hennellisis, this book is an amusing tribute to a neighbourhood of foreigners trying to come to grips with an incomprehensible new land. Everyone whose foreign ancestors, like mine, spoke funny English will recognise this light-hearted record of their forefathers' early struggles,and will especially enjoy reading Nize Baby, but those fortunate people for whom this fiendishly difficult language is their natural heritage will also be amused.
