Survivors of the Holocaust

August 26, 2019
In this graphic novel repackaging of an animation series created in 2014 and produced for BBC Learning, six Holocaust survivors narrate their experiences in unsparing terms. Whittingham’s angular images—a hybrid of German Expressionism and contemporary vector art—depict the fear and horror they endured as Jewish children and teenagers. The survivors’ recollections of seeing their frantic parents powerless in the face of an inexorable force (Nazis are depicted as brutal, often larger-than-life automatons) is particularly searing: in many images, the characters run in fear or sit with
devastating loneliness after being separated forever from a loved one. “Nobody ever said, I’ll explain what happened to you,” says Suzanne, a Parisian Jew with curly red hair who went from “a lovely life. It was a cultured life” to being hidden and abused after her parents were taken away and murdered. The narratives often end abruptly, gnawing at the heart; an afterword includes photos of the now-elderly survivors and brief descriptions of their achievements—including, most hearteningly, grandchildren. Ages 10–up. (Oct.)■

September 1, 2019

Gr 4-8-Each of these six accounts of Holocaust survivors are unique, yet all convey terror and despair. The contributors were children from different parts of Europe when the Nazis came to power in Germany, and all of their families were torn apart by rampant anti-Semitism. One child was saved by a neighbor when the Nazis came to take her family away, one child was sent to a concentration camp, one child was part of the Kindertransport, and yet another child's family managed to escape to England. The graphic novel format and first-person narration create an intimate, harrowing portrait. Each story uses a different color scheme, some with burnt oranges and browns, some with more subdued blues, each slightly distinct from the next. The blocky illustrations are child-friendly and accessible yet still explore dark themes and images, making this a good option for upper elementary school students and middle schoolers. Excellent back matter includes photos and descriptions of the children as adults, an extensive time line and glossary, and a lengthy list of websites for further research. VERDICT Using an engaging format to shed light on a devastating yet important topic, this is a strong choice for most libraries.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

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