Anne-Marie Baila Asner This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. Jewish Woman magazine

   www.jwmag.org/books/06fall.asp - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/23/2006   Last Visited: 11/23/2006

   And some of my friends can't even claim that," says Anne-Marie Baila Asner. Her desire to preserve the language spoken by Jews from Eastern Europe inspired her to found Matzah Ball Books.

2. 2. Jewish Woman magazine

   www.jwmag.org/articles/20Fall0 - [Cached]

   Published on: 8/29/2006   Last Visited: 8/29/2006

   And some of my friends can't even claim that," says Anne-Marie Baila Asner.
   
   Her desire to preserve the language spoken by Jews from Eastern Europe inspired her to found Matzah Ball Books (www.matzahballbooks.com), a series of lively picture books ($6.95 each) suitable for three- to seven-year-olds.
   ...
   Asner, 34, whose first child was born on Shavuot in early June, writes and illustrates her books, which constitute a second full-time job; she also works in the financial services industry. Having a supportive family helps: her husband, a dad who owns a printing company, a mom and brother willing to go to every event for the book within 50 miles of Los Angeles, and a bubbe,her "dictionary",who explains the definitions and connotations of Yiddish words.
   
   Book Before writing her first book, Asner, who holds a master's in psychology from Brandeis, thought about it for a long time. She held back, concerned that it wouldn't sell. But a friend said something that inspired her to make the leap: "How much will it cost to do the first book?" When Asner replied "five thousand dollars," her friend said, "That's not very much to be able to follow your dream."
   
   "The day the first book, Shmutzy Girl, came out, we went to an Israel Independence Day fair in San Diego and sold hundreds of copies," she recalls. The first three titles have gone into second printings. Asner has even created a line of baby clothes and T-shirts for adults featuring art from the book covers.
   
   Book Introducing Yiddish to children was topmost in Asner's mind. But she also wants to make people aware of the number of words that Yiddish has contributed to English. Her books are succeeding in that quarter too: Half of her sales are to people outside the Jewish faith.

3. 3. Jewish Book & Author News: Spring 2005

   www.olswanger.com/jban-spring0 - [Cached]

   Published on: 4/1/2005   Last Visited: 5/5/2005

   On May 15, Anne-Marie Asner (Noshy Boy, ISBN 0-9753629-1-7, $6.95) will sign her children's book, a cautionary tale about making healthy food choices, at the Yom Ha'atzmaut Festival at the Lawrence Family JCC in San Diego, California. Asner, who lives in Los Angeles, is the founder of Matzah Ball Books, a company she created to give young children access to and understanding of Yiddishisms. She travels frequently to San Diego, Vancouver, and Tel Aviv, and specializes in programs for children in which she teaches Yiddish by using a song, poem, or rap.