Mendel the Mess-Up

The Book of Life: Jewish Kidlit (Mostly)

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/05/mendel-mess-up.html

TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/MYzjopAD_3R8aSnpGTydMmKNjv4?utm_source=copy_url

Terry LaBan is an alternative cartoonist, a graphic recorder (we'll talk about what that means later), and now he's written his first graphic novel, called Mendel the Mess Up. I'm going to borrow the description from the starred review in Publishers Weekly. They said "Put Fiddler on the Roof and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in a blender, add a jigger or two of Seinfeld, and the result is this boisterous and affirming graphic novel." Doesn't that sound amazing?

LEARN MORE:

• Buy or borrow Mendel the Mess-Up

• Terry LaBan’s author website and graphic recording website

• Terry’s Tikkun Olam suggestion: support HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society

• Get bonus content for this episode on Substack

• Terry’s reading recommendations: o The Story of the Jews: A 4000 Year Adventure by Stan Mack o A Minyan Yidn (A Bunch of Jews) by Trina Robbins o Anything by Leela Korman o Hereville series by Barry Deutsch

CREDITS:

• Produced by Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel
• Co-sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries
• Sister podcast: Nice Jewish Books
• Theme Music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band
• Newsletter: bookoflifepodcast.substack.com
• Facebook Discussion Group: Jewish Kidlit Mavens
• Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast
• Instagram: @bookoflifepodcast
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