The World Entire: A True Story of an Extraordinary World War II Rescue

Gr 3-5–Sometimes, the greatest acts of bravery are not completed with muscle and brawn, but with the humble tools of a paper and pen. Aristides de Sousa Mendes loved his life in Portugal, where Europe reaches into the sea and he could share meals with the residents of his small town. As a diplomat, his job often included granting visas to travelers wishing to enter Portugal. When Nazi forces pushed west and refugees fled before them, Sousa Mendes was faced with an important decision: would he save countless human lives and defy his government, or would he adhere to the status quo? Weighty yet accessible, this detailed nonfiction picture book introduces readers to a little-known hero of World War II Europe. Passages rich with descriptive language paint a picture of a man who recognized the strength in a united world rather than a divided one. Best for older elementary school students due to the length of the text, this picture book is well suited to classes about World War II. Accompanying the text are equally lyrical illustrations depicting Sousa Mendes’s life in moments of turbulence and of joy, the colors appropriately reflecting the moods in each situation. An author’s note and additional back matter provide supplemental context.