The Schmutzy Family

Praise

“Delightful and unpretentious in its approach to welcoming the Sabbath.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Stories filled with muck and mess are fun for young preschoolers, and in this title they will enjoy the smelly, yucky games celebrated on each wild double-page spread, especially since—surprise!—the grown-ups join in the fun. . . . With ink, watercolor, acrylic, and pencil, Meisel’s pictures extend the rumpus, and kids will have fun with the text’s occasional Yiddish words (explained in a glossary), especially farshtunken (stinky).”—Booklist
 
“Rosenberg’s text is elegant, affectionate, and humorous. Meisel’s cartoon-like watercolor-and-ink illustrations sprawl across the borderless pages, embodying the story’s creative expansiveness. Children will enjoy picking out details not mentioned in the text . . . This book explores Jewish traditions in a unique and vibrant way, offering a loving portrait of a free-wheeling family many readers will wish they had.”—School Library Journal
 
“Meisel’s (The Leprechaun Under the Bed) ink-and-watercolor cartooning cheerfully chronicles the family’s transformation from profane (which in this case involves a lot of mud, cow pies, and swamp critters) to sacred, and conveys so much joyousness and family happiness that most readers—even non-Jews—will agree that having to bathe, clean house, and dress up is well worth it.”—Publishers Weekly
 
A Finalist for the National Jewish Book Award