Title: One Day
Author: Michael Rosen
Major Themes: Holocaust, Picture Books
Synopsis: The inspiring story of a young Jewish man and his father who survived the Holocaust.
I’ve always appreciated hearing stories of people who survived or escaped the Holocaust, and I love it when picture books tell true stories that will stick with children. One Day brought both of those together for me, and I ended up having a hard time putting this book down the day I finally sat down to read it.
Publisher’s description:
From an eminent storyteller, this powerful, simply told, beautifully illustrated picture book recounts a rare story of survival during the Holocaust.
One day, a Hungarian-French Jew and his father were rounded up by Nazis and brought to a prison camp. One day, they tried to escape, and failed. One day, they tried to escape, and succeeded. In a true story that resonates with his own family legacy, Michael Rosen, one of today’s most esteemed poets and authors of books for children, draws on the real-life account of Eugène Handschuh, who escaped with his father from a convoy headed from Nazi-occupied Paris to Auschwitz. At once honest, approachable, and speaking to the resilience of hope, One Day features sensitive illustrations by award-winning artist Benjamin Phillips, as well as a note from the author providing historical context.
My thoughts:
There are a good number of stories available today about people who lived through horrendous things during the Holocaust, yet somehow managed to survive. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture book that talked about the Holocaust before, though, so it was special to have the chance to read this one.
Michael Rosen does a great job bringing us into the lives of Eugène and his father, as they were arrested, put in a prison camp, then later put on a train that was (presumably) destined for a death camp. And paired with the beautiful line-art and watercolor pictures, you really get a feel for what their lives looked like—both the horrors and the tiny splashes of hope here and there.
One Day is a difficult read in many ways, but it’s also a story of hope amid despair and the tenacity of the human heart to keep going, even when things look impossible. I’m looking forward to reading it aloud to my younger siblings—this is an excellent way to introduce them to this difficult part of history—and I think this story would make a good addition to any child’s history bookshelf. It’s not an easy story, but it needs to be heard.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
WARNING: Page 19: Picture of men facing a wall in a mock execution. Page 29: Lying to protect someone.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 5 – 8, 8 – 12
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Kindle | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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