The Schmutzy Family Hardcover – August 1, 2012

My kids just adore this book. They want to read it all the time. They love getting dirty but they also look forward to the sabbath when we get clean and dress up, so this book is very relatable to them. They are amused by Mama Schmutzy and they talk about us being the Schmutzy Family whenever we get dirty together.

My daughter really enjoys this tale of a family that spends six days a week getting messy while they must clean things up for the sabbath. It's easy to relate to the Schmutzy family except for the day they have to clean up. The illustrations bring out the charm of the tale.

Beautifully written, this book is great for understanding family cooperation, togetherness and joy, regardless of your religion.It also captures some of the beauty of the Jewish Sabbath.Perfect for the grandkids.

Just adorable. It makes a great read aloud for kids and even cracked up my 4th grade class.

In the Schmutzy family, Mama Schmutzy encourages messes, exploration, and play from Sunday through Friday. But on Friday morning, Mama expects the Schmutzy children to clean up everything in preparation for Sabbath. Then the children help prepare for Sabbath and enjoy their time together as a family at least until Sunday rolls around again.The illustrations are done in ink and are very colorful and fun.This is a wonderful story about a Jewish mother who encourages creative play but expects the children to clean up afterwards and to participate in Sabbath to the fullest. I would have liked to see the children clean up each night since the messes in this story were quite outlandish, but otherwise I liked Mama's attitude about what is important. This is a great story that includes Jewish culture. I would recommend for ages 4-8.

The Schmutzy famiky is an interesting children's book. I don't think I have ever read anything like it before. In The Schmutzy Family, the children are very messy and dirty. They love mud, earthworms, dirt, and frogs. If there's a mess to get into, they're going to find it and get into it.The mother doesn't mind. There are blueberry stains everywhere, and they even draw on the walls. The mother doesn't even bat an eye. That slightly bothered me. It's not realistic. If I would have done any of the things that they do when I was a child, I would have gotten into a heck of a lot of trouble.The only time the mother is bothered by the mess is Shabbos. Shabbos is the Jewish sabbath. The book teaches a lot about the Jewish culture, which I did like. It even has a glossary for children and parents to look at together. Other than the book not being realistic at times, I enjoyed it.

Mama Schmutzy lets her kids explore and create even if it is MESSY (and it does get very messy). She encourages her kids to create and learn but on Friday, she expects all the Schmutzys to help clean up and get ready for the Sabbath.Why I liked this book -This is a funny book with great illustrations. I like the ending (not telling ;-) ) a lot. It tells an important message - have fun and get messy, but you still have a responsibility to clean up. My Mom let's us play messy. I like that. It also teaches about some Jewish traditions. I am not Jewish and I liked learning about the Shabbos. I think it is important to learn about other cultures and religions. I think this book will make a great read-aloud! I recommend this book to kids 4+!**NOTE I won a copy of this book in a give-away and liked it so much I wanted to review it.

How many different ways will the Schmutzy family get messy? Read this fine, frolicsome tale to find out! Young readers will enjoy the family's different adventures and their peaceful (and clean!) conclusion at week's end. This is a wonderful story about all forms of family togetherness, enhanced by the cheery illustrations.