Caren Stelson

Acrylic paint, colored pencil, and collage - with plenty of text (like recipe cards) and texture (like burlap) - make each page of this book as rich with visual detail as it is with story, which is narrated in second person ("When we were seven or eight or nine or ten, our home was the old city of Prague..."). The child narrators know nothing of their saviors, even after the war ("No one had saved our parents. But who was the man who saved us?"). After nearly half a century, the discovery of a scrapbook revealed his identity: Nicholas Winton helped save 669 Jewish children.

One quote is verbatim from one of the children's mothers: "There will be times when you'll feel lonely and homesick. Let the stars of the night and the sun of the day be the messenger of our thoughts and love."

Extensive back matter includes more information about the Kindertransport movement, a detailed timeline from 1933-2015, more biographical information about specific children he saved, a note on Yad Vashem's children's memorial, an author's note, illustrator's note, source notes, selected bibliography, and recommended further reading.

Of the 669 children saved, only five had both parents survive the Holocaust, and only twenty had one parent survive.… (more)

This powerful story is told from the collective perspective of the children who were rescued from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II, as Hitler's campaign of hatred toward Jews and political dissidents took hold. The narrative starts in 1938 and follows the children as they journey to foster families in England for the duration of the war, return to Prague afterward in an unsuccessful search for their parents, and eventually connect with Nicholas Winton, a British former stockbroker who was key in bringing them to safety. Winton and the Czech Kindertransport ultimately rescued 669 children from Nazi persecution.… (more)

This is a non-fiction picture book about Sachiko Yasui, during the bombing in Nagasaki, Japan.

This tale is so beautifully told, and it's not written like some non-fiction editorial. It's written as a story, reflecting on the tough times during the Nagasaki bombings. There's quite a bit of story in this, so I would recommend an older age group of children read this. It's not a picture book you'd be reading to preschoolers. I'd say grade five through eight would be a better group, because it does deal with war and death and dying.

I think the book is just marvelous. It tells a really tough tale but in a child friendly way that educates. Especially since this is a truly horrifying story if you go research it. It's worth the read if you want to teach a little history. Touching, sad tales like these need to be told so we don't forget the past and the humanity that can come out of tragedy.

The illustrations are gorgeous and give this weird sense of calming and peace, yet the tale is haunting. It reminds me of crayon or rough water colours. It stood out to me and pulled me to the cover, and then hooked me in the book.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley who provided me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.… (more)