Janusz Korczak's Children

October 1, 2007
Gr 2-4-Korczak was a kindly doctor who ran a Jewish orphanage in Warsaw before World War II. When the Nazis rounded up the children and put them on a train to Treblinka, he voluntarily accompanied them so they would not be alone. They were never seen again. While Korczak is a compelling historical figure, this short biography fails to inspire. The dry text is oversimplified, and a lack of context may lead to confusion for young readers. Dreary illustrations in muddy colors show stiff, unemotional figures. The writing level and large font imply a young audience, while the Holocaust-related content seems more suited to older children. David A. Adler's "A Hero and the Holocaust" (Holiday House, 2002), while also rather dry and lacking in context, at least offers better illustrations."Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2007
In short, spare chapters with many full-page illustrations, this picture-book biography tells the story of the Holocaust hero who established an orphanage in Warsaw to care for desperate children, and later refused to desert them when the Nazis sent them to the death camps. Unlike most most biographies of Korczak, this one fills in a lot about his early life. Born into a wealthy family as Henryk Goldszmidt, Korczak, always concerned about poor children was rejected by his father as an idiot and a crybaby. Despite that, he grew up to become a doctor and a popular writer (his pen name was Janusz Korczak). When the Nazis invaded Poland and moved the orphanage into the Warsaw Ghetto, he went with the children, refusing offers to escape. For some reason the author waits until the end, when the Nazis come, to mention that Korczak, his staff, and all the orphans were Jewish, but this quiet account of the hero is haunting, and his self-sacrifice is unforgettable.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2008
This account of Dr. Janusz Korczak's life maintains its power while still being accessible to young readers. From his privileged childhood to his medical studies and writing to his founding of an orphanage then deportation to Treblinka, the straightforward narrative provides a clear sense of his character and legacy. Subdued paintings are at once somber and hopeful. Timeline. Bib.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)