The Schmutzy Family

A lively and funny celebration of Sabbath traditions.

Sunday through Friday, the Schmutzy children are encouraged to explore, experiment, and create. It's messy work, involving mud pies, tomato sauce, worms, and frogs!

But on Friday morning, Mama exclaims, "Look at this dirt…. And it's nearly SHABBOS. We can't bring in the Sabbath smelling like COWS!"

So the Schmutzys clean up--and that's almost as much fun as the rest of the week.

"Schmutz" is a Yiddish word for dirt -- you can have schmutz on pretty much anything. The book begins with a four-word glossary - challah, farshtunken, schmutzy, and Shabbos.

This book captures the joy of cooperating as a family--no matter what your religion--and it makes a great read-aloud for home or classroom. Charming illustrations by two-time Geisel medalist, Paul Meisel, add to the fun.

A National Jewish Book Awards finalist
A PJ Library selection