After World War II, the people of Germany struggle to rebuild and find hope for themselves and their families. Anneliese, a young German girl living in the city, sees the rubble in the streets and the women and children dutifully clearing it away and wonders how things could ever get better. When she and her little brother Peter stumble upon a book exhibit, Anneliese finds herself in a world of beautiful children's books available for anyone to read. The lady with the books reads to them and since many of the books are not in German, she translates these stories so they can all enjoy them together. With each new story, Anneliese feels her heart lifting and she decides that maybe their is hope for herself, her family and her country after all.
This beautiful picture book tells the story of Jella Lepman through the eyes of the children she helped. Born in Germany in 1891, Jella was a Jewish women who was forced to flee in the 1930s when the Nazi party first began to take over Germany. When she returned years later to her home country in 1945, Jella used books to help German children whose lives had been severely disrupted by war. This book wonderfully explains who this incredible woman was with a fictitious story and then gives the reader concrete details and facts about Jella at the end of the picture book. I would recommend this book for any child and it would be a great addition to any study on World War II. This books is available in the Azalea Regional Library System.
~Abigail C.
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