Sheds light on a devastating topic with empathy, sensitivity, and honesty.
Answers to the questions that a Jewish Swedish Romanian educator and survivor of Auschwitz fielded most often.
Until her death in 2022, Fried lectured in schools about one of the most horrific events in living memory. Translated from Swedish, this work is an approachable adaptation of her 2019 volume. Illustrated with plain, almost stiff artwork in muted colors, common questions such as “Why did Hitler hate the Jews?” and “Why did you not fight back?” are interspersed with more surprising queries. Fried’s shock at being asked, “What was the best?” is palpable, yet she gives as much consideration to this question as she does to the others. In response, she describes how she and Olga, another girl, risked their lives to smuggle a few leaves into the barracks. An account that could be framed as utter horror becomes, in Fried’s telling, a moment of breathless joy. Ekboir’s accompanying illustration, sunlight bursting through a tree’s canopy, evokes an impossibly distant hope. Fried closes by reminding her readers that “Are you able to forgive?” is not the important question when there’s work to be done. She draws parallels to contemporary issues such as the prejudice faced by refugees and “racism, anti-Semitism, anti-Romanyism, and Islamophobia.” In her pragmatic words, the horrors of the Holocaust become if not comprehensible then perhaps a little easier for readers to wrap their minds around.
Sheds light on a devastating topic with empathy, sensitivity, and honesty. (further reading, map, timeline, glossary, reflections on identity and society, bystanders and upstanders, questions for a reading group, context of Jewish identity at the time, historical context of the Holocaust, recipe for Swedish hot cocoa) (Nonfiction. 8-11)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781957363233
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Scribble
Review Posted Online: Feb. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Playful, provocative, and packed with perspective.
Did Christopher Columbus really “discover” a new world? Did the Pilgrims invite the Wampanoag to a friendly First Thanksgiving? Is July 4 truly the nation’s birthday?
Readers familiar with traditional narratives of America’s founding are invited to interrogate those myths in this interactive exploration of early U.S. history. A strong introductory framework asks whose stories endure and whose have been erased from the history books, emphasizing that Indigenous peoples remain part of the present, not just the past. Each spread presents a common misconception, then asks readers to flip assumptions aside by lifting a partial gatefold that reveals the true story beneath. Well-sourced explanations elevate figures and communities often excluded from history books, including women, Black Americans, and Indigenous peoples. Bold colors, graphic-heavy layouts, and energetic illustrations that make creative use of historical photos and images break complex ideas into bite-size pieces that encourage browsing over linear reading. A timeline, speech bubbles, and lift-the-flap “True or False” quizzes reinforce the book’s core message: History is layered, debatable, and dynamic. Though the book’s busy, nonlinear design may prove challenging for some, on the whole it works very well as an engaging historical overview. The content assumes a foundational knowledge of early U.S. history, making it most suitable for older elementary readers, though some visual choices skew younger. Backmatter includes more historical information and background on the book’s creation.
Playful, provocative, and packed with perspective. (glossary, resources, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 9-11)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9798888599082
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
Thirteen prominent American men and women are briefly profiled in this collection. Chronologically ranging from Thomas Jefferson to Barack Obama, each entry features an inspiring quote from its subject and a concise explanation of his or her context in history. Opposite each page of text is a watercolor painting by the author depicting an image or montage of the notable individual and illustrating the work they achieved or how they lived. Each one evokes the emotions the book is meant to inspire: courage, strength and determination. Franklin Roosevelt gazes reassuringly out at readers above a line of hungry people at a soup kitchen; Rachel Carson smiles at readers against a picture of a soaring bald eagle and an inset of her peering into a microscope. The selection includes four women and five male ethnic minorities. Almost all are familiar faces in collective biographies, including Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, but some names may be new to young readers, such as Emma Lazarus and Cesar Chavez. Included in the backmatter are thumbnail biographies of each figure and a list of source notes. The profiles are indeed inspiring, and younger readers will likely learn something new. For deeper research, students will have to look elsewhere but could use this book as an excellent starting point. (Collective biography. 8-11)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8225-6810-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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