WHEN HITLER STOLE PINK RABBIT by JUDITH KERR.BACK COVER BLURB: Anna is too busy with schoolwork and tobogganing to listen to the talk of Hitler. But one day she and her brother are rushed out of Germany in alarming secrecy, away from everything they know. Their father is wanted by the Nazis - dead or alive.
FIRST SENTENCE {Chapter One}: Anna was walking home from school with Elsbeth, a girl in her class.
MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 179/80}: "We used to have a box of games like this," he said at last. "Only ours had dominoes as well."
Francine looked a little put out at having her birthday present belittled.
"What happened to yours?" she asked.
"We had to leave it behind," said Max and added gloomily, "I expect Hitler plays with it now."
SOURCE: A charity shop buy.
MY THOUGHTS: The first of three books based on the wartime experiences of Judith Kerr (author of The Tiger Who Came To Tea) who as a nine year old fled her native Germany after a price was put on her journalist father's head.
Not so much a book about survival as it is about being a stranger - this first book chronicles the family's flight from Germany to Switzerland and onto France, ending with them newly arrived in a somewhat wet and grey England.
Semi-autobiographical. Though arguably upsetting at times, more tame and certainly less explicit than other books of its ilk, I'd recommend When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit as being suitable for younger, more sensitive readers who perhaps aren't quite ready for some of the more gritty aspects of what after all is a war time tale.
WARNING: Contains a reference to Anna feeding a cat chocolate. Highly toxic, this should not be encouraged.
12 comments:
I think I will check this out for Little Diva. It sounds like an interesting and age appropriate way to discuss Hitler.
:-)
Traci
It sounds like this would be a good introduction to a period in history I doubt many younger readers know much about anymore - especially since it's (loosely) based on the author's personal experiences. Even if it's a bit upsetting in places, I believe our children need to be exposed to the realities of life.
Sounds like a decent book - with the exception of feeding the cat chocolate.
eh I think I would have preferred survival, much more emotional and gritty and interesting
Sounds like a well done novel. I've heard of this one -but I don't really know where. hah Thanks for sharing! I like books about this time period in history.
I used to read a lot of books like that but it's been a while
New to me but nice to hear it was fairly well done besides feeding the cat
Really insightful commentary on this book illustrating the horrors of Nazism for younger readers. The title is brilliant.
Really good point band good catch about feeding the cat chocolate.
Excellent review, Tracy. I hadn't heard of this story before. It does sound like a good choice for younger readers.
Thanks for the reminder that chocolate and cats shouldn't mix!
Hmm...I do believe I may check this one out; perhaps the whole set even. Thanks for the share!
I'm kicking myself for not adding a warning about feeding a dog chocolate in one of my previous reviews. I should go back and do that . . . It really bugged me when I was reading the book.
Anyway, this sounds like an interesting book. One to keep in mind for my daughter as she gets older.
Oh yea. The chocolate and cat thing would totally stick with me and bug me as well. If there are consequences and learning involved then it bugs me less but it sounds like it doesn't do that here. Bummer.
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