It Could Always Be Worse

Written and illustrated by Margot Zemach

A crowded hut, a Rabbi's advice, chaos ensues. Can things get worse?

4.2 Goodreads · 2,103 ratings

32 pages· 826 words· Est. 7 min read-aloud· AD590L

$8.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In a cramped one-room hut, a desperate man seeks a Rabbi's guidance to ease his family's constant bickering. But the Rabbi's peculiar advice leads to a series of hilarious misfortunes. As chaos unfolds, the man wonders if his life can truly get any worse. Discover the uproarious journey of unexpected calamities in this charming tale.

From the publisher

Once upon a time a poor unfortunate man lived with his mother, his wife, and his six children in a one-room hut. Because they were so crowded, the children often fought and the man and his wife argued. When the poor man was unable to stand it any longer, he ran to the Rabbi for help. As he follows the Rabbi’s unlikely advice, the poor man’s life goes from bad to worse, with increasingly uproarious results. In his little hut, silly calamity follows foolish catastrophe, all memorably depicted in full-color illustrations that are both funnier and lovelier than any this distinguished artist has done in the past. It Could Always Be Worse is a 1977 New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year, and a 1978 Caldecott Honor Book.