This quiet book rightfully helps a little-known Holocaust heroine emerge from the darkness.
An adolescent girl and a toy duck helped save hundreds of Parisian Jewish lives during World War II.
Jacqueline Gauthier, a heroic Jewish teenage French Resistance member, posed as a Christian social worker and bicycled her way through the streets of Paris during the German occupation. She carried a wooden toy duck on wheels in her satchel, ostensibly to homes with children as a plaything. This was a ploy; unbeknownst to Nazis who’d overtaken the city and were on the constant lookout for hidden Jews, the toy had a secret compartment. Inside were false identity papers—not bearing the stamp Juive (the French word for Jew)—that Gauthier clandestinely ferried to desperate Jews so they could flee the city undetected and unharmed. Also unknown to the Nazis: The “social worker” undertook this task at enormous personal risk, for she was Jewish herself. Her real name was Judith Geller, and she had hidden her own parents and brother and carried her own fake documents. Boxer tells Judith’s story in an understated manner, making it all the more heart-rending; succinct sentences heighten dramatic tension. The illustrations, rendered in watercolor, gouache, and pencil, are somber, in keeping with the story’s dark themes and images of terrified people literally hiding in the shadows. Judith’s red beret and the yellow duck stand out to deliberately keep readers’ focus on them throughout. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This quiet book rightfully helps a little-known Holocaust heroine emerge from the darkness. (author’s and artist’s notes, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 8-11)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 9781419750007
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
Fans of Terry Deary and Martin Brown’s Horrible Histories and their ilk are unlikely to consider this latest imitation more than an also-ran. Oliver surveys British history from the Isles’ Ice Age formation to the not-exactly-hot-off-the-presses 2005 news that London will host the 2012 Olympics. Though accurate enough in his broad picture, the author’s debatable facts (“…the Romans introduced really useful things such as toilets and even vegetables to the people of Britain”) and awkwardly written generalizations (“The Celtic kings consulted religious advisors to help them rule, known as druids”) drag the bland text down even further. Pinder's pen-and-ink illustrations attempt snark but too often fall flat: “That girl was always getting in my way,” remarks Bloody Mary as Lady Jane Grey’s newly severed head bounces by. This catalog of major British kings, queens, wars, pivotal events and cultural milestones is unlikely to entertain—much less resonate with—American audiences. (index, royal timeline) (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-906082-72-7
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Buster/Trafalgar
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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