An affecting wartime reflection for young readers.
Black-Gould’s debut illustrated children’s book adapts her short story about a Jewish girl, her mother, and a Catholic nun.
In 1939 Poland, a Jewish woman teaches her daughter, Lalka, Catholic protocols in “a special game,” preparing her for her upcoming time in hiding. The mother plans to temporarily leave her daughter at a church one winter day: “She laid the scarf on the kitchen table and sprinkled the few remaining drops of lavender on the wool. Then she wrapped the scarf around my neck. ‘You will always have this memory.’ ” In her new home, the girl attends classes with other children, and the mother visits her daughter regularly for several weeks, but then the visits stop. One day, Sister Teresa tells the girl that “two men wearing long black leather coats and dark hats” are in her office. As she’s questioned relentlessly by the Nazis, she begins praying. The men throw her Star of David necklace (a gift from her father before he died) to the ground and upset her by saying she’s committing a sin if she doesn’t tell the truth about her religion. After they leave, the girl is confused and frightened: “Through my tears, I glanced at the crystal beads in my hand and the gold necklace in hers. ‘Sister,’ I asked. ‘Which one of these is the sin?’ ” Black-Gould, in a powerful adaptation of her short story that first appeared in the journal Jewish Fiction.net, adeptly demonstrates the fear felt by the young girl in the final scene: “Drops of water slinked like snakes down the leather” of her interrogator’s coat. Royz’s illustrations complement the text beautifully, with soft, homey scenes of the mother and daughter, depictions of the mother’s deep concern, and images of the Nazis, which all draw the reader into this emotional work. An afterword details a remarkable real-life story of how children at Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee created a Holocaust memorial, followed by study-guide questions for children and adults.
An affecting wartime reflection for young readers.Pub Date: June 14, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-955119-20-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Purple Butterfly Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 8, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Quirky and imaginative—postmodern storytelling at its best.
Friendly curiosity and a gift for naming earn a polar bear an assortment of (mostly animal) friends, adventures, mishaps, and discoveries.
Arriving at a northern ocean, Duane spies a shipwreck. Swimming out to investigate, he meets its lone occupant, C.C., a learned snowy owl whose noble goal is acquiring knowledge to apply “toward the benefit of all.” Informing Duane that he’s a polar bear, she points out a nearby cave that might suit him—it even has a mattress. Adding furnishings from the wreck—the grandfather clock’s handless, but who needs to tell time when it’s always now?—he meets a self-involved musk ox, entranced by his own reflection, who’s delighted when Duane names him “Handsome.” As he comes to understand, then appreciate their considerable diversity, Duane brings out the best in his new friends. C.C., who has difficulty reading emotions and dislikes being touched, evokes the autism spectrum. Magic, a bouncy, impulsive arctic fox, manifests ADHD. Major Puff, whose proud puffin ancestry involves courageous retreats from danger, finds a perfect companion in Twitch, a risk-aware, common-sensical hare. As illustrated, Sun Girl, a human child, appears vaguely Native, and Squint, a painter, white, but they’re sui generis: The Canadian author avoids referencing human culture. The art conveys warmth in an icy setting; animal characters suggest beloved stuffed toys, gently reinforcing the message that friendship founded on tolerance breeds comfort and safety.
Quirky and imaginative—postmodern storytelling at its best. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3341-0
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel.
Sandy and his family, Japanese Canadians, experience hatred and incarceration during World War II.
Sandy Saito loves baseball, and the Vancouver Asahi ballplayers are his heroes. But when they lose in the 1941 semifinals, Sandy’s dad calls it a bad omen. Sure enough, in December 1941, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor in the U.S. The Canadian government begins to ban Japanese people from certain areas, moving them to “dormitories” and setting a curfew. Sandy wants to spend time with his father, but as a doctor, his dad is busy, often sneaking out past curfew to work. One night Papa is taken to “where he [is] needed most,” and the family is forced into an internment camp. Life at the camp isn’t easy, and even with some of the Asahi players playing ball there, it just isn’t the same. Trying to understand and find joy again, Sandy struggles with his new reality and relationship with his father. Based on the true experiences of Japanese Canadians and the Vancouver Asahi team, this graphic novel is a glimpse of how their lives were affected by WWII. The end is a bit abrupt, but it’s still an inspiring and sweet look at how baseball helped them through hardship. The illustrations are all in a sepia tone, giving it an antique look and conveying the emotions and struggles. None of the illustrations of their experiences are overly graphic, making it a good introduction to this upsetting topic for middle-grade readers.
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel. (afterword, further resources) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0334-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
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