Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust. Elisa Boxer. Illustrated by Amy June Bates. 2023. [March] 48 pages. [Source: Library] [Link to Cover Image]
First sentence: “Hide! Quick!”
Hearts pounding,
breath quickening,
feet scrambling.
Down into damp basements,
up into old attics,
crammed into dark closets.
Premise/plot: Nonfiction title for upper elementary on up. This picture book for older readers is set in France during the Second World War. The focus is on a young girl–a young woman–who smuggles false identity papers to Jews by using a TOY DUCK. (Yes, a toy duck). Her name is Jacqueline Gauthier. This is her story of how she (and the duck) helped save two hundred lives. It is written in verse.
My thoughts: I loved this one so much. I absolutely love hearing new stories. I love continuing to learn about the war, about the Holocaust, about these experiences. Every voice matters. Every story is worthy of an audience. I’d never heard of this story! And it was such a great story! I loved learning about this young woman and the creative way a TOY DUCK was used to smuggle papers. I loved the gumption and bravery.
The narrative and illustrations are SO good. Definitely recommend it.
© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky’s Book Reviews
