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lesserjoke's review against another edition
3.0
This 2020 title is a little unusual among Holocaust memoirs, both for its aim at a middle-grade audience and for its depicting a life more distantly touched by Nazi violence. Jewish author Uri Shulevitz and his family fled German-occupied Poland into the Soviet Union, where they continued to face antisemitic persecution and starvation-level poverty, but their struggles obviously do not reflect the full horror of the era. I wouldn't want this to be the first / only book that a young reader encounters on the subject, but I'm also not sure how many will be interested enough to give it a try once they've already been introduced to the visceral evil of Hitler's extermination program.
I struggle with the fundamental accuracy of the contents here too, as the 84-year-old writer looking back over the decades can't possibly be remembering all the events he describes from age 4 to 12 -- and indeed, he notes in an afterword that he's relied on later conversations with relatives as well as his father's written account to reconstruct this tale. I assume the broad strokes are fine, but the details may be shaky and the emotion sometimes feels artificial for the child perspective he's relating.
As such, while this is still an important look at a historical refugee experience, I don't think I can offer my unqualified recommendation.
[Content warning for cannibalism.]
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I struggle with the fundamental accuracy of the contents here too, as the 84-year-old writer looking back over the decades can't possibly be remembering all the events he describes from age 4 to 12 -- and indeed, he notes in an afterword that he's relied on later conversations with relatives as well as his father's written account to reconstruct this tale. I assume the broad strokes are fine, but the details may be shaky and the emotion sometimes feels artificial for the child perspective he's relating.
As such, while this is still an important look at a historical refugee experience, I don't think I can offer my unqualified recommendation.
[Content warning for cannibalism.]
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
mdevlin923's review against another edition
3.0
Author and illustrator Uri Shulevitz's experiences during World War II as he and his family escaped from Nazi-occupied Poland to U.S.S.R. and eventually Turkestan. This heart-breaking tale of the trials Uri and his parents had to face are coupled with photographs and beautiful illustrations.
jwinchell's review against another edition
4.0
This is a beautifully wrought memoir of surviving/escaping the Holocaust. Uri is an amazing artist, and he traces his artistic journey through World War II. Very short chapters. Impressionistic memories. A long picture book or illustrated memoir. I think for anyone who wants a broader picture of what Jewish people endured to survive the war, this book fits the bill.
mrssmitty519's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Amazing story and artwork.
angiedkelly's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely loved the drawings in this book. It is the heart and strength of the book. The author's story is a necessary one especially since he experienced these horrific times at such a young age. It is not an easy read and I am not sure how much a middle grade reader would really absorb or just breeze on by. Like I said, the drawings will definitely pull them in and that is a start.
Recommended for 6th grade and up.
Recommended for 6th grade and up.
bkish's review against another edition
5.0
about this wonderful and painful book written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz which included also his now deceased father's book about how this Jewish family lived during the era of the nazi killers
and then Uri was about 4yo. they had lived in Poland until the Nazi regime decided to destroy the Jewish people. The family was clever wise and moved seeing what was coming to Soviet Union and his father was a sign painter. He was able to get some work and they had a place to live and they could be alive there. However it is the Soviet Union and they were unable to get what they needed to remain - Passports because of Uri name which was seen as an attack on the beliefs of that govt. So in time they moved to another place for the father's work. What was constant there for Uri was I am hungry. And he and his family (parents) encouraged his drawing which probably is what sustained him. This is a book of that period of time with lots of illustrations that fit the story which was not a story as it was true.
He writes what happened during that time and how the family eventually moved to Paris and then to Israel. He himself moved to NYC where he is now
This is a very unique yet very painful book
the illustrations are marvelous!
Judy g
and then Uri was about 4yo. they had lived in Poland until the Nazi regime decided to destroy the Jewish people. The family was clever wise and moved seeing what was coming to Soviet Union and his father was a sign painter. He was able to get some work and they had a place to live and they could be alive there. However it is the Soviet Union and they were unable to get what they needed to remain - Passports because of Uri name which was seen as an attack on the beliefs of that govt. So in time they moved to another place for the father's work. What was constant there for Uri was I am hungry. And he and his family (parents) encouraged his drawing which probably is what sustained him. This is a book of that period of time with lots of illustrations that fit the story which was not a story as it was true.
He writes what happened during that time and how the family eventually moved to Paris and then to Israel. He himself moved to NYC where he is now
This is a very unique yet very painful book
the illustrations are marvelous!
Judy g
librariann's review against another edition
3.0
I skimmed/read half of this new memoir. Though it is FAT the words per page and white space make it read like a much shorter book. Shulevitz's story is interesting, but not entirely engrossing. Still, a good addition for kids who are interested in true stories of Jews in WWII, especially of refugees who did not end up in the concentration camps.
thereadingknitter's review against another edition
3.0
I’m drawn to anything that covers the Holocaust. So naturally I picked up this book as soon as I saw it. I liked how he walked through his life but also some of the details were appalling. Sad that so many lived through this and many more also lost their lives.
literaryhypewoman's review against another edition
4.0
It's not the holocaust story you think of when you first hear that word. Uri's family headed deep into Soviet country to survive world war II. Holocaust education is definitely lacking, so I am all for kids picking up this book. It's easy to read and has lots of illustrations. While my digital ARC didn't display them all correctly, the ones it did show added to Uri's childhood story.