★ 美國凱迪克銀牌獎

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.


好久以前，一位窮困不幸的男人和他的母親、妻子及六個小孩一起住在一棟單間小屋裡。

因為屋裡十分擁擠，孩子們時常打架，而男人和妻子也彼此爭吵。當這窮人再也無法忍受時，他向拉比尋求協助。

當他聽從拉比不可靠的建議後，這窮人的生活雪上加霜，導致吵鬧日益漸增。在他的小屋裡，一場又一場令人噴飯的鬧劇，此起彼落地上演著。透過全彩插圖描繪出令人難忘的畫面，比這位傑出的插畫家以往的作品都更加爆笑和令人愛不釋手。

本書於 1977 年《紐約時報書評》榮獲年度最佳童書獎，以及年度優良圖書獎，也在 1978 年被凱迪克獎譽為優良讀物。