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Shlemiel Crooks
"In the middle of the night on a Thursday, two crooks—onions should grow in their navels—drove their horse and wagon to the saloon of Reb Elias Olschwanger, at the corner of 14th and Carr streets in St. Louis. This didn't happen yesterday. It was 1919." So begins
Shlemiel Crooks
, a modern folktale set in the Yiddish community of the author's great-grandparents. In original and engaging storytelling,
Shlemiel Crooks
introduces young readers to the history of Passover as Pharaoh and a town of Jewish immigrants play tug-of-war with wine made from grapes left over from the Exodus from Egypt. Punctuated by colorful Yiddish expressions, the customs and language of a Jewish community of another time come alive.
In a review, Booklist noted: "Shtetl humor and magic realism come to St. Louis in 1919 in this wry Pesach story. The best thing here is Olswanger's Yiddish storyteller's voice, particularly the hilarious curses she weaves into the story. Great for reading aloud."
Shlemiel Crooks is a Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Young Reader's Category from the Association of Jewish Libraries and a PJ Library Book.
In a review, Booklist noted: "Shtetl humor and magic realism come to St. Louis in 1919 in this wry Pesach story. The best thing here is Olswanger's Yiddish storyteller's voice, particularly the hilarious curses she weaves into the story. Great for reading aloud."
Shlemiel Crooks is a Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Young Reader's Category from the Association of Jewish Libraries and a PJ Library Book.
Hardcover
First published May 1, 2005
1465 people want to read
About the author
Anna Olswanger
8 books78 followersAnna Olswanger based her first children's book on a Yiddish newspaper article she uncovered about the attempted robbery of her great-grandfather’s kosher liquor store in St. Louis in 1919. This is the English translation of the article:
Reb Eliyahu Olschwanger Almost Robbed
Shlimazel crooks, their work was unsuccessful. Last Thursday at 3:00 a.m. in the middle of the night, several men drove to the saloon of Reb Eliyahu Olschwanger at the corner of 14th and Carr Streets. They opened the saloon and removed several barrels of brandy and beer. Mr. Mankel who lives on the second floor, upon hearing what was going on in the saloon, opened the window and began shouting for help. Benjamin Resnik from 1329 Carr Street, hearing the shouting, shot his revolver from his window. The band of crooks got scared and left everything, including their own horse and wagon and ran away. Police immediately came and took everything to the police station.
What could be funnier than crooks who left with less than they came with! From that Yiddish article, Anna created Shlemiel Crooks (not Shlimazel Crooks like in the article, as she suspected that "shlemiel" was a more widely known word). After adding the ghost of Pharaoh, the prophet Elijah, and a talking horse to the story, she was in business. A family musical based on Shlemiel Crooks premiered at New York's Merkin Concert Hall in 2011.
Anna's second book for young readers, Greenhorn , is an illustrated children’s novel inspired by a true story. Daniel, a young Holocaust survivor, arrives at a New York yeshiva in 1946 to study and live. He is carrying a small box, his only possession, which he never lets out of his sight. Daniel rarely talks, but the story’s narrator, a stutterer taunted by the other boys, comes to consider Daniel his friend. What’s in the box is a mystery, and the boys at the yeshiva are impatient with Daniel's secret. Only Aaron, the stutterer, reaches out to Daniel, and through their friendship, Daniel is able to let go of his box. Together, each boy finds his "voice." A free Discussion Guide and Classroom Guide for Greenhorn are available at the publisher's website: www.newsouthbooks.com/greenhorn.
Anna's third book, the graphic novel A Visit to Moscow , will be published by West Margin Press in May, 2022.
Anna lives in the metropolitan New York area and is a literary agent.
Awards
Sydney Taylor Honor Book (for Shlemiel Crooks)
PJ Library Book (for Shlemiel Crooks)
Koret International Jewish Book Award Finalist (for Shlemiel Crooks)
F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference Short Story Contest Award (for "Chicken Bone Man")
Books
Shlemiel Crooks (2005, 2009)
Stories from the Blue Moon Cafe IV, contributed "Chicken Bone Man" (2005)
My Shoshana: A Father's Journey Through Loss, Co-Author (2011)
Greenhorn (2012)
A Visit to Moscow (2022)
Contact Anna
www.olswanger.com | @AnnaOlswanger | anna@olswangerliterary.com
Reb Eliyahu Olschwanger Almost Robbed
Shlimazel crooks, their work was unsuccessful. Last Thursday at 3:00 a.m. in the middle of the night, several men drove to the saloon of Reb Eliyahu Olschwanger at the corner of 14th and Carr Streets. They opened the saloon and removed several barrels of brandy and beer. Mr. Mankel who lives on the second floor, upon hearing what was going on in the saloon, opened the window and began shouting for help. Benjamin Resnik from 1329 Carr Street, hearing the shouting, shot his revolver from his window. The band of crooks got scared and left everything, including their own horse and wagon and ran away. Police immediately came and took everything to the police station.
What could be funnier than crooks who left with less than they came with! From that Yiddish article, Anna created Shlemiel Crooks (not Shlimazel Crooks like in the article, as she suspected that "shlemiel" was a more widely known word). After adding the ghost of Pharaoh, the prophet Elijah, and a talking horse to the story, she was in business. A family musical based on Shlemiel Crooks premiered at New York's Merkin Concert Hall in 2011.
Anna's second book for young readers, Greenhorn , is an illustrated children’s novel inspired by a true story. Daniel, a young Holocaust survivor, arrives at a New York yeshiva in 1946 to study and live. He is carrying a small box, his only possession, which he never lets out of his sight. Daniel rarely talks, but the story’s narrator, a stutterer taunted by the other boys, comes to consider Daniel his friend. What’s in the box is a mystery, and the boys at the yeshiva are impatient with Daniel's secret. Only Aaron, the stutterer, reaches out to Daniel, and through their friendship, Daniel is able to let go of his box. Together, each boy finds his "voice." A free Discussion Guide and Classroom Guide for Greenhorn are available at the publisher's website: www.newsouthbooks.com/greenhorn.
Anna's third book, the graphic novel A Visit to Moscow , will be published by West Margin Press in May, 2022.
Anna lives in the metropolitan New York area and is a literary agent.
Awards
Sydney Taylor Honor Book (for Shlemiel Crooks)
PJ Library Book (for Shlemiel Crooks)
Koret International Jewish Book Award Finalist (for Shlemiel Crooks)
F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference Short Story Contest Award (for "Chicken Bone Man")
Books
Shlemiel Crooks (2005, 2009)
Stories from the Blue Moon Cafe IV, contributed "Chicken Bone Man" (2005)
My Shoshana: A Father's Journey Through Loss, Co-Author (2011)
Greenhorn (2012)
A Visit to Moscow (2022)
Contact Anna
www.olswanger.com | @AnnaOlswanger | anna@olswangerliterary.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 4, 2020
Two bumbling crooks, a talking horse, and the ghost of Pharaoh walk into a saloon. This isn’t a setup for a joke — it’s the premise of Anna Olswanger’s terrific picture book, Shlemiel Crooks (NewSouth Books). Narrated in gleeful, Yiddish-inflected English and graced with a dash of magical realism, Shlemiel Crooks is a joy to read aloud. Paula Goodman Koz’s colorful illustrations immerse the reader in a whimsically-realized American Jewish neighborhood of 100 years ago.
The year is 1919, and St. Louis saloon-owner Reb Elias is out late studying Torah. Two crooks — “onions should grow in their navels” — hear the whispers of Pharaoh’s ghost, who persuades them to steal the Passover wine from Reb Elias’ unattended saloon. Unfortunately for these to shlemiels (Yiddish for “fools”), their horse begins to shout, “Crooks! Crooks!” The talking horse wakes the neighbors, who begin yelling at the top of their lungs. Everyone gets their just desserts: the would-be thieves flee empty-handed, while Reb Elias ends up one horse the richer.
Despite its fantastical elements, Shlemiel Crooks is based on a true story. The author is the real Reb Elias’ great-granddaughter. The book’s backmatter includes a photograph of Elias Olschwanger and his wife Dora, as well as the two articles from the St. Louis Jewish Record that inspired the story. The articles are reproduced in the original Yiddish and accompanied by a translation. The story’s basis in American Jewish history makes Shlemiel Crooks a wonderful resource for conversations about Jewish life and culture, particularly surrounding the holiday of Passover. Family and classroom discussion guides can be found on the publisher’s website.
Beneath this light-hearted parable is a deeper message about Jewish resilience. While the spirit of Pharaoh — the antagonist of the Passover story — lingers on in Shlemiel Crooks, Pharaoh is no match for Reb Elias, who has the prophet Elijah on his side. (The narrator slyly suggests that the talking horse is Elijah’s doing.) More importantly, Reb Elias has the support of his entire neighborhood in chasing the thieves away. “Didn’t [Pharaoh] know,” says that narrator, that “after thousands of years of being without a place to hang their hats, the Jews had learned a thing or two about sticking together?” Like the Israelites in the Passover story, Reb Elias outmatches the powerful Pharaoh, and he doesn’t do it alone.
Shlemiel Crooks was gifted to me by NewSouth Books to review for the Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 event.
The year is 1919, and St. Louis saloon-owner Reb Elias is out late studying Torah. Two crooks — “onions should grow in their navels” — hear the whispers of Pharaoh’s ghost, who persuades them to steal the Passover wine from Reb Elias’ unattended saloon. Unfortunately for these to shlemiels (Yiddish for “fools”), their horse begins to shout, “Crooks! Crooks!” The talking horse wakes the neighbors, who begin yelling at the top of their lungs. Everyone gets their just desserts: the would-be thieves flee empty-handed, while Reb Elias ends up one horse the richer.
Despite its fantastical elements, Shlemiel Crooks is based on a true story. The author is the real Reb Elias’ great-granddaughter. The book’s backmatter includes a photograph of Elias Olschwanger and his wife Dora, as well as the two articles from the St. Louis Jewish Record that inspired the story. The articles are reproduced in the original Yiddish and accompanied by a translation. The story’s basis in American Jewish history makes Shlemiel Crooks a wonderful resource for conversations about Jewish life and culture, particularly surrounding the holiday of Passover. Family and classroom discussion guides can be found on the publisher’s website.
Beneath this light-hearted parable is a deeper message about Jewish resilience. While the spirit of Pharaoh — the antagonist of the Passover story — lingers on in Shlemiel Crooks, Pharaoh is no match for Reb Elias, who has the prophet Elijah on his side. (The narrator slyly suggests that the talking horse is Elijah’s doing.) More importantly, Reb Elias has the support of his entire neighborhood in chasing the thieves away. “Didn’t [Pharaoh] know,” says that narrator, that “after thousands of years of being without a place to hang their hats, the Jews had learned a thing or two about sticking together?” Like the Israelites in the Passover story, Reb Elias outmatches the powerful Pharaoh, and he doesn’t do it alone.
Shlemiel Crooks was gifted to me by NewSouth Books to review for the Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 event.
March 11, 2020
It is not apparent what age this book is written for.
February 6, 2013
This is one of my favorite Jewish books!
The storytelling is delightful and the language is so authentic, you really can hear the accent, see the characters and smell the liqueur in the store.The crooks outsmart themselves and that incident, based on a true story from the author's family's history makes the paper.
Olswanger tied up the story with the passover tale in a very clever way.
The illustrations done in woodcut are gorgeous.
This is a children's book but the humor and wit will be enjoyed just as much by adults.
I won't tell you the plot but I will say this,
Onions should grow out of your ears when you read it!
The storytelling is delightful and the language is so authentic, you really can hear the accent, see the characters and smell the liqueur in the store.The crooks outsmart themselves and that incident, based on a true story from the author's family's history makes the paper.
Olswanger tied up the story with the passover tale in a very clever way.
The illustrations done in woodcut are gorgeous.
This is a children's book but the humor and wit will be enjoyed just as much by adults.
I won't tell you the plot but I will say this,
Onions should grow out of your ears when you read it!
January 10, 2010
What a beautiful book. I cannot wait to present this to my grandchildren for a reading fest; it will open up an unknown world to them. The most you can hope for from any good story. The color! The vocabulary! The questions it will raise! I hope we wear it out together.
Read
August 2, 2007Hear an interview about Shlemiel Crooks with author Anna Olswanger on The Book of Life podcast's April 2006 episode at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com.
January 26, 2010
This was a very cute, adventure of a read. The illustrations were beautiful and captivating. The narrative was fun and sassy and I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this book, whatever their age!
January 4, 2010
This was a very cute, adventure of a read. The illustrations were beautiful and captivating. The narrative was fun and sassy and I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this book, whatever their age!
March 14, 2013
A lot of fun!
March 19, 2013
This folksy telling of a family story, flecked with Yiddish asides, in fact with the rhythm and sound of Yiddish, we discover the history of Passover. What a fun read-aloud.
March 24, 2023
This adorable story, based on a true incident that happened in 1919 to the author’s great-grandparents, is told in the style of Yiddish folktales. The author’s great-grandfather, Reb Elias Olschwanger, had an establishment in St. Louis that sold kosher wine, brandy, and cognac for use on the Jewish Sabbath and on Jewish holidays. He was the only seller of kosher wines, so he and his store were important fixtures in the community.
On February 21, 1919, the St. Louis Jewish Record reported that thieves tied to steal several barrels of brandy and beer. (A photocopy of the article is included at the back of the book.). As Olswanger tells it, “the two crooks - potatoes should sprout in their ears - were stealing crates of Passover wine shipped special that year to Reb Elias on a boat from the Land of Israel.”
In the course of explaining what happened, Olswanger retells the story of Passover - also in a humorous way, “in case you haven’t been reading the book of Exodus in the Bible lately…”
The crooks - “a trolley car should grow in their stomachs” - were about to make off with the wine when they were yelled at by neighbors, and they got scared and ran off:
“How scared? I’ll tell you. They ran away like their pants were on fire and left Reb Elias’s wine sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, not to mention their horse and wagon in the street.”
We learn that Reb Elias was so grateful he placed an ad in the St. Louis Jewish Record to wit:
“Elias Olschwanger wants to thank all his friends on Fourteenth and Carr streets who stopped the no-good crooks from stealing his wine. Don’t worry, he’s still got a fine stock of full and half-bottles of Land of Israel wine and brandies for Passover. Also, now he’s delivering in a horse and wagon, you shouldn’t have to come to him, you’re so busy. Only, in case the shlemiel crooks come back for the horse and wagon, you could order now maybe? E. Olschwanger, Liquor Company, 1028 N. 14th Street.”
Colorful woodblock print illustrations by Paula Goodman Koz feature plenty of historical details.
Some of the details about Passover and references to the Talmud may need explanations for the recommended audience of four and over, but will provide an opportunity for adults to offer children an amusing take on this Bible story.
Evaluation: Readers of all ages, including adults, will appreciate the humor and the message of “divine justice” in this story.
On February 21, 1919, the St. Louis Jewish Record reported that thieves tied to steal several barrels of brandy and beer. (A photocopy of the article is included at the back of the book.). As Olswanger tells it, “the two crooks - potatoes should sprout in their ears - were stealing crates of Passover wine shipped special that year to Reb Elias on a boat from the Land of Israel.”
In the course of explaining what happened, Olswanger retells the story of Passover - also in a humorous way, “in case you haven’t been reading the book of Exodus in the Bible lately…”
The crooks - “a trolley car should grow in their stomachs” - were about to make off with the wine when they were yelled at by neighbors, and they got scared and ran off:
“How scared? I’ll tell you. They ran away like their pants were on fire and left Reb Elias’s wine sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, not to mention their horse and wagon in the street.”
We learn that Reb Elias was so grateful he placed an ad in the St. Louis Jewish Record to wit:
“Elias Olschwanger wants to thank all his friends on Fourteenth and Carr streets who stopped the no-good crooks from stealing his wine. Don’t worry, he’s still got a fine stock of full and half-bottles of Land of Israel wine and brandies for Passover. Also, now he’s delivering in a horse and wagon, you shouldn’t have to come to him, you’re so busy. Only, in case the shlemiel crooks come back for the horse and wagon, you could order now maybe? E. Olschwanger, Liquor Company, 1028 N. 14th Street.”
Colorful woodblock print illustrations by Paula Goodman Koz feature plenty of historical details.
Some of the details about Passover and references to the Talmud may need explanations for the recommended audience of four and over, but will provide an opportunity for adults to offer children an amusing take on this Bible story.
Evaluation: Readers of all ages, including adults, will appreciate the humor and the message of “divine justice” in this story.
January 27, 2022
Originally reviewed for #ReadYourWorld2021 and sharing here!
Based on a true story of the author's great-great grandparents and how long ago their saloon was nearly robbed of its precious Passover wine by two crooks--potatoes should sprout from their ears and onions should grow in their navels!
With its many colorful asides, I can almost hear the tale being told by a Yiddish grandmother narrator. Throughout its creative telling, readers discover reasons behind some important Jewish traditions like Passover, by a truly witty, quite funny narrator--who shares how the ghost of Pharaoh returns to "pull one over on the Jews" with the help of the two crooks. Though of course, plans do not go as expected.
Backmatter contains newspaper articles from 1919, and the entire book provides an annotated lesson in Jewish culture, tradition, and language, in an utterly unforgettable fashion. I was left wanting more from this witty narrator--I mean, author and illustrator team. The content lends itself to classroom studies in multiple areas, and the humor will entertain adults who are asked to read this book again and again and again. Highly recommend!
2006 Sydney Taylor Honor Book
2005-2006 Koret International Jewish Book Award Finalist
hlemiel Crooks, by Anna Olswanger, illustrated by Paula Goodman Koz, Junebug/NewSouth Books, 2005, 9781588382368 (SC), $11.95
Ages: 7-10, Grades: 2 - 4, picture book for older readers
Genre: Historical fiction based on a true story, Jewish history, HUMOR!!
Based on a true story of the author's great-great grandparents and how long ago their saloon was nearly robbed of its precious Passover wine by two crooks--potatoes should sprout from their ears and onions should grow in their navels!
With its many colorful asides, I can almost hear the tale being told by a Yiddish grandmother narrator. Throughout its creative telling, readers discover reasons behind some important Jewish traditions like Passover, by a truly witty, quite funny narrator--who shares how the ghost of Pharaoh returns to "pull one over on the Jews" with the help of the two crooks. Though of course, plans do not go as expected.
Backmatter contains newspaper articles from 1919, and the entire book provides an annotated lesson in Jewish culture, tradition, and language, in an utterly unforgettable fashion. I was left wanting more from this witty narrator--I mean, author and illustrator team. The content lends itself to classroom studies in multiple areas, and the humor will entertain adults who are asked to read this book again and again and again. Highly recommend!
2006 Sydney Taylor Honor Book
2005-2006 Koret International Jewish Book Award Finalist
hlemiel Crooks, by Anna Olswanger, illustrated by Paula Goodman Koz, Junebug/NewSouth Books, 2005, 9781588382368 (SC), $11.95
Ages: 7-10, Grades: 2 - 4, picture book for older readers
Genre: Historical fiction based on a true story, Jewish history, HUMOR!!
January 29, 2021
Based on a true story of the author's great-great grandparents and how long ago their saloon was nearly robbed of its precious Passover wine by two crooks--potatoes should sprout from their ears and onions should grow in their navels!
I can almost hear the tale being told with its many colorful asides by a Yiddish grandmother narrator. Throughout this creative telling, readers discover reasons behind some important Jewish traditions like Passover through the telling by the truly witty, hilarious narrator--who shares how the ghost of Pharaoh returns to "pull one over on the Jews" with the help of the two crooks. Though of course, plans do not go as expected.
Backmatter contains newspaper articles from 1919, and the entire book provides an annotated lesson in Jewish culture, tradition, and language, in an utterly unforgettable fashion. I was left wanting more from this witty narrator--I mean, author and illustrator team. The content lends itself to classroom studies in multiple areas, and the humor will entertain adults who are asked to read this book again and again and again. Highly recommend!
I can almost hear the tale being told with its many colorful asides by a Yiddish grandmother narrator. Throughout this creative telling, readers discover reasons behind some important Jewish traditions like Passover through the telling by the truly witty, hilarious narrator--who shares how the ghost of Pharaoh returns to "pull one over on the Jews" with the help of the two crooks. Though of course, plans do not go as expected.
Backmatter contains newspaper articles from 1919, and the entire book provides an annotated lesson in Jewish culture, tradition, and language, in an utterly unforgettable fashion. I was left wanting more from this witty narrator--I mean, author and illustrator team. The content lends itself to classroom studies in multiple areas, and the humor will entertain adults who are asked to read this book again and again and again. Highly recommend!
November 10, 2025
I wanted to like this more. In the beginning I loved the Yiddish English conversational tone, but by the end it was a lil trite.
February 14, 2020
It's a very cool concept. I love the idea of writing a picture book in language that mimics the style of an old man sitting on his porch and telling stories. The story itself, of a man being almost robbed and ending up owning the attemped getaway vehicle is really cool (and more so when you find out it actually happened to the author's grandfather. Sadly, the execution doesn't quite match the idea. I find myself wishing that another author would come along and write the book that this one wanted to be.
Want to read
December 27, 2009I just found out I won this book! It looks really interesting, and I can't wait to read it!!!!
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October 29, 2018Go to the Reading Tub for the book review.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews