Bearing Witness Through Picture Books

Within the last few years, librarians have seen a proliferation of novels and memoirs dealing with the Holocaust published for young people. But along with the narratives and memoirs for older readers, a large group of supposedly simple illustrated books is being offered to a younger crowd. Consequently, one might conclude that children these days are prepared to absorb much of the horror of recent history at a tender age. However, parents, teachers, and librarians need to use these books with sensitivity. Even a child who is an excellent reader may not be ready to understand a book’s content or the graphic nature of some illustrations.

Adults are compelled to confront the subject of evil in our world and explain it to children in our care. We hope that children understand that we do this not to scare them, but to teach. The importance of this literature, besides the inherent history lesson, is that it can be used to convey values—the value of social justice and moral courage, problem solving, and resisting prejudice. In light of recent world events, including a Holocaust denial conference held in December 2006, this literature has proven relevance. Clearly, the Holocaust should not be hidden from children.

While most of the titles included here are suitable for readers in grades three and up, some can be used with younger children, while others are better suited for older students. It is hoped that the following bibliography will provide assistance in making the right choice for the right age.

ADLER, David A. The Number on My Grandfather’s Arm. photos. by Rose Eichenbaum. URJ Press. 1987. Tr $12.95. ISBN 978-0-8074-0328-0.

Gr 2-6–When a child asks her grandfather about his wartime experiences, he imparts just enough information to explain what he went through without frightening her. Illustrated in black-and-white photos, the story ends with a picture of the grandfather washing dishes, finally allowing the number tattooed on his arm to be in full view.

LAWTON, Clive A. Auschwitz. Candlewick. 2002. RTE $18.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-1595-6.

Gr 7 Up–A description of what happened at the concentration camp is provided through narrative and photographs. Each topic is covered within short spreads, beginning with the transports and selection process to the final liberation. An excellent resource for those wanting the hard facts.

LEHMAN-WILZIG, Tami. Keeping the Promise: A Torah’s Journey. illus. by Craig Orback. Lerner/Kar-Ben. 2004. PLB $16.95. ISBN 978-1-58013-117-9; pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-1-58013-118-6.

Gr 4-6-Dedicated to the memory of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, this is an account of how a miniature Torah survived Bergen-Belsen and was eventually taken into space on the ill-fated Columbia space mission. Ramon’s tragic death along with the loss of the Torah makes for a powerful story. Dark oil paintings enhance the mood.

PATZ, Nancy. Who Was the Woman Who Wore the Hat? illus. by author. Dutton. 2003. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-525-46999-5.

Gr 4 Up–With a sparse, lyrical text, Patz invites readers to imagine the real woman who may have worn the hat on display at a Jewish museum in Amsterdam. “I wonder if she wore it the day she left home the last time…when the Jews were herded together and arrested in the Square.” Simple pencil drawings convey a convincing sense of mystery.

RUBIN, Susan Goldman. The Flag with Fifty-Six Stars: A Gift from the Survivors of Mauthausen.illus. by Bill Farnsworth. Holiday House. 2005. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-1653-0; pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-2019-3.

Gr 4 Up-This account chronicles the remarkable story of the liberation of the inmates of this camp and the flag that they secretly made for the Americans who freed them. That flag, mistakenly made with an extra row of stars, now hangs in the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. Stirring full-page oil paintings illustrate the history of this lesser-known labor camp.

RUSSO, Marisabina. Always Remember Me: How One Family Survived World War II. illus. by author. S & S/Atheneum/Anne Schwartz Bks. 2005. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-689-86920-4.

Gr 3-5- Russo relates her family history in this poignant story of her grandmother, who shares two photo albums with her granddaughter, one about her life in Europe before World War II, and one about her life in America afterward. Appealing gouache illustrations are accompanied by re-creations of old photos, an identity card, and other artifacts of historical interest.

SCHROEDER, Peter & Dagmar Schroeder-Hildebrand. Six Million Paper Clips: The Making of a Children’s Holocaust Memorial. Lerner/Kar-Ben. 2004. PLB $17.95. ISBN 978-1-58013-169-8; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-1-58013-176-6.

Gr 4-8–This book chronicles the inspiring events that took place at a rural middle school in Whitwell, TN, when the eighth-grade class developed a unique project to learn about the Holocaust. Well-written chapters with accompanying color photos will appeal to young readers. The award-winning documentary Paper Clips (Ergo Entertainment, 2004) is a moving companion to the book. The DVD version can be ordered online at paperclipsstore.com for $24.99; the educational version that includes a teacher’s guide and student handouts is $79.99.

STEELE, D. Kelley. Would You Salute?: One Child’s Story of the Holocaust. illus. by Becky Hyatt Rickenbaker. Hidden Path. 2006. Tr $22.95. ISBN 978-0-9711534-2-4.

Gr 4-6-This true story of a half-Jewish German girl whose life was like anyone else’s until Hitler came into power addresses a complex issue. When Margot proudly salutes the marching soldiers, as requested by her teacher, the author steps out of the narrative to ask, “Would you have saluted? Would you feel proud?” Muted colored-pencil drawings add immediacy to this valuable discussion starter.

ADLER, David A. Hiding from the Nazis. illus. by Karen Ritz. Holiday House. 1997. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-1288-4; pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-1666-0.

Gr 4-8-Adler relates the true story of four-year-old Lore Baer, a Dutch Jewish girl who was hidden on a farm for the duration of the war before being reunited with her parents. One of the most heart-wrenching pages shows the young Lore, at the war’s end, cowering behind her “new mother” and fearing the “old” one, whom she hardly remembers. Beautifully rendered watercolor illustrations evoke the time period.

DEEDY, Carmen Agra. The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark. illus. by Henri Sorensen. Peachtree. 2000. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-56145-208-8.

Gr 3-5–When the Nazis direct all Danish Jews to wear yellow stars, King Christian responds by wearing a star himself, inspiring other Danes to follow along. While this tale turns out to be only a legend, it captures the dignity of the Danish people and their remarkable resistance to the Nazis. Illustrated with realistic oil paintings.

INNOCENTI, Robert. Rose Blanche. illus. by author. Creative Editions. 2003. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-56846-189-5.

Gr 4 Up-The story of a German girl and her naive perceptions of wartime life–soldiers, anti-Semitism, camps, and depravation–is told mainly through powerfully detailed, realistic paintings. There is no happy ending here, but Innocenti effectively portrays the innocence of youth and the moral character of a gentile girl who finds the courage to perform small acts of righteousness.

MOCHIZUKI, Ken. Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story. illus. by Dom Lee. Lee & Low. 1997. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-1-880000-49-6; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-1-58430-157-8.

Gr 4-8–This is the little-known story of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who saved as many as 10,000 Lithuanian Jews during the Holocaust. Going against the explicit orders of his government, he fearlessly continued to issue exit visas for people trying to escape. Hiroki Sugihara, the consul’s eldest son, serves as narrator and provides the afterword. Serious, sepia-toned illustrations dignify these courageous people.

OPPENHEIM, Shulamith Levey. The Lily Cupboard: A Story of the Holocaust. illus. by Ronald Himler. HarperTrophy. 1995. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-06-443393-8.

Gr 2-4–A Jewish Dutch girl is hidden from the Nazis by strangers, and although she misses her parents and fears discovery by soldiers, she is treated kindly. While the ending is ambiguous as to whether she ever reunites with her family, it is easy to identify with the caring farmers who risk all by taking her in. Appealing watercolor illustrations make this an approachable book for a younger audience.

SIM, Dorrith M. In My Pocket. illus. by Gerald Fitzgerald. Harcourt. 1997. Tr $16. ISBN 978-0-15-201357-8.

Gr 3-6–This simply worded autobiography focuses on the Kindertransport, an organized rescue operation that took 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi Europe to Britain. The story is told through the voice of a seven-year-old child and warmly illustrated with sensitive oil paintings that reveal the world through her eyes.

BORDEN, Louise. The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H. A. Rey. illus. by Allan Drummond. Houghton. 2005. Tr $17. ISBN 978-0-618-33924-2.

Gr 3-6–Good fortune smiled on Margret and H. A. Rey as they escaped the Nazis and relocated to New York in 1940 with the manuscript of Curious George in a bicycle bag. Drummond’s illustrations reflect the Reys’ style, while many photos and real notebook pages add excitement to the tale of their harrowing escape.

BUNTING, Eve. Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust. illus. by Stephen Gammell. Jewish Publication Society. 1989. Tr $12.95. ISBN 978-0-8276-0325-7; pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-0-8276-0507-7.

Gr 3-8–“Terrible Things” carry away each animal in the forest, until they finally come for the white rabbits who have been watching on the sidelines, certain that “it could never happen to us.” While there is no mention of the Holocaust, this book provides an excellent jumping-off point for discussion, as well as a lesson on tolerance and acceptance. Black-and-white pencil drawings accompany the text.

KUSHNER, Tony. Brundibar. illus. by Maurice Sendak. Hyperion/Michael di Capua Bks. 2003. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-0-8276-0507-7.

K Up–In this ambitious retelling of the 1938 Czech opera about two children who go into town to get milk for their sick mother, Brundibar, the nasty organ grinder who tries to foil their plan, bears some resemblance to Hitler. Other Holocaust references are sprinkled throughout Sendak’s striking drawings.

LAKIN, Patricia. Don’t Forget. illus. by Ted Rand. HarperCollins. 2000. pap. $5.95. ISBN 978-0-688-17522-1.

Gr 3-5–Set in a postwar Jewish neighborhood, this story follows eight-year-old Sarah as she gets to know some of the local storekeepers when she sets out to bake her first cake. The tattooed number on one shopkeeper’s arm particularly fascinates her. Full-page watercolor illustrations beautifully evoke the era.

WALDMAN, Neil. The Never-Ending Greenness: We Made Israel Bloom. illus. by author. Boyds Mills. 2003. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-59078-064-0.

Gr 2-4–An inspiring saga of how Israelis created life after the destruction of European Jewry, this story begins with a boy’s family’s escape from the Vilna ghetto and ends on a wonderful note of hope as they settle in Israel, where the boy helps plant trees. The dark wartime illustrations are juxtaposed with vibrant, double-page acrylic paintings as the family reaches the safety of their new home.

ADLER, David A. A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children. illus. by Bill Farnsworth. Holiday House. 2002. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-1548-9.

Gr 4-8–In this stark and dramatic telling, Adler introduces the Polish pediatrician and educator who created an orphanage in Warsaw. Dedicating his life to abandoned children, Korczak remained with his orphans even as they were marched to their death. The darkened, realistic oil paintings may be frightening for younger children who have not yet been introduced to the subject.

KRINITZ, Esther Nisenthal & Bernice Steinhardt. Memories of Survival. illus. by Esther Nisenthal Krinitz. Hyperion. 2005. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7868-5126-3.

Gr 5-9–Krinitz describes her childhood experiences and Holocaust survival through 36 detailed quilt panels that she embroidered using a variety of needlework techniques. The panels, placed in chronological order, are remarkable depictions of remembered events–rich in immediacy and unusual because of their colorful format. Her daughter adds to the narrative by filling in historical details.

MILLMAN, Isaac. Hidden Child. illus. by author. Farrar/Frances Foster Bks. 2005. Tr $18. ISBN 978-0-374-33071-2.

Gr 4-9–In a superbly written autobiography, Millman details his experiences as a hidden child in France. He illustrates his astonishing story of survival with double-page composite watercolor paintings and family photos with handwritten captions that are sure to engage readers.

POOLE, Josephine. Anne Frank. illus. by Angela Barrett. Knopf. 2005. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-375-83242-0; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-93242-7.

Gr 3-7-This engaging picture-book biography is an excellent introduction to the life of Anne Frank. The meticulously researched paintings are large and realistic, while the story is told simply but with great poignancy.

RUBIN, Susan Goldman with Ela Weissberger. The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin. Holiday House. 2006. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-1831-2.

Gr 3-7–Illustrated with photos and children’s drawings, this beautifully written biography of Ela Weissberger, a Holocaust survivor, highlights the power of music, art, and hope. As a child, she was chosen to play the role of the cat in Brundibar, an opera performed by children at Terezin concentration camp.

RUBIN, Susan Goldman. Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Terezin. Holiday House. 2000. RTE $18.95. ISBN 978- 0-8234-1461-1; pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-1681-3.

Gr 5 Up–At war’s end, 5000 drawings by the children in the camp were discovered in the attic of one of the barracks. Lavishly illustrated with that artwork, this title covers the years during which Dicker-Brandeis, a Jewish art therapist from Czechoslovakia, taught art to those doomed children.

SMITH, Frank Dabba. Elsie’s War: A Story of Courage in Nazi Germany. Frances Lincoln. 2003. pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-1-84507-006-9.

Gr 3-6–Full-page black-and-white photos illustrate this biography of Elsie Kuhn-Leitz, daughter of German industrialist Ernst Leitz II, the maker of the world’s first 35mm camera. Elsie risked her life to save Jews during the Holocaust and was briefly imprisoned by the Nazis. A good introduction to the heroism of gentile rescuers.

BUNTING, Eve. One Candle. illus. by K. Wendy Popp. HarperCollins/Joanna Cotler Bks. 2002. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-06-028115-1; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-06-028116-8; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-06-008560-5.

Gr 3-5–Every year a family celebrates Hanukkah by retelling the story of how Grandma and her sister managed to steal a potato to improvise a menorah while at Buchenwald concentration camp. Handsome sepia-toned illustrations mute the horrors of the camp and allow the tender family ritual to shine through.

HESSE, Karen. The Cats in Krasinski Square. illus. by Wendy Watson. Scholastic. 2004. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-439-43540-6.

Gr 3-8–True events inspired this story of two Jewish sisters, escapees of the infamous Warsaw Ghetto, who devise a plan to smuggle food to those behind the wall. It’s an empowering tale about the moral courage of young people written in a clear, poetic style with appealing, warmly lit illustrations.

HOESTLANDT, Jo. Star of Fear, Star of Hope. tr. from French by Mark Polizzotti. illus. by Johanna Kang. Walker. 1996. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8027-8373-8; pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-0-8027-7588-7.

Gr 3-6–Nine-year-old Helen is confused about the disappearance of her Jewish friend during the German occupation of Paris. The naively rendered colored-pencil drawings evoke the somber mood. An excellent classroom discussion starter, especially when paired with Steele’s Would You Salute?

RAPPAPORT, Doreen. The Secret Seder. illus. by Emily Arnold McCully. Hyperion. 2005. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7868-0777-2.

Gr 3-7–During the Nazi occupation of France, a boy and his father slip out of their village to join a group of fellow Jews at a humble Seder table. Although this is more about the rituals of the Seder than the horrors of the Holocaust, the author connects the Passover themes of exodus and freedom. Watercolor illustrations depict the dark mood with a palpable sadness.

Vander ZEE, Ruth. Erika’s Story. illus. by Roberto Innocenti. Creative Editions. 2003. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-56846-176-2.

Gr 3 Up–“On her way to death, my mother threw me to life.” The astonishing story of how a baby survived after being thrown from a train headed for a death camp in 1944 is simply told. Innocenti’s paintings of a small pink bundle on the ground are unforgettable.