Jars of Hope

July 20, 2015
Structuring her story as eight vignettes, Roy recounts how Irena Sendler helped transport thousands of Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. The bulk of the story takes place between 1940 and 1944 as Sendler joins Zegota, a Polish Resistance organization, and smuggles children into orphanages, convents, and foster homes, eventually being imprisoned by Nazis herself. Roy includes source notes for a few quotations, but most of the dialogue appears to be invented. Paintlike smudges soften Owenson’s digital illustrations, which strike some off notes (a cartoonish fox dashes in front of Sendler while she hides in a zoo). Even so, text and art convey a strong sense of the poor conditions within the ghetto, as well as the dangers faced by Jews and those who tried to help them during WWII. Ages 9–12. Author’s agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group.

November 15, 2015
Grades 2-4 Each book in the Encounter: Narrative Nonfiction Picture Books series follows the life and work of a notable woman in history, framing her story in a way that young readers can understand. Jars of Hope examines the life of Irena Sendler, a member of the Polish Resistance group Zegota during WWII, who smuggled more than 2,500 Jewish children out of ghettos before they could be sent to concentration camps. Though careful not to take too many liberties with a historical text, these read like fiction and will spark the interest of many young readers. Each installment has a different illustrator, giving them all a unique flavor, and all have some sort of back matter that recaps the facts gleaned from the story. They vary somewhat in audience ranges but this is an interesting concept with an effective, highly visual approach.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)