Jars of Hope

July 20, 2015
Structuring her story as eight vignettes, Roy recounts how Irena Sendler helped transport thousands of Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. The bulk of the story takes place between 1940 and 1944 as Sendler joins Zegota, a Polish Resistance organization, and smuggles children into orphanages, convents, and foster homes, eventually being imprisoned by Nazis herself. Roy includes source notes for a few quotations, but most of the dialogue appears to be invented. Paintlike smudges soften Owenson’s digital illustrations, which strike some off notes (a cartoonish fox dashes in front of Sendler while she hides in a zoo). Even so, text and art convey a strong sense of the poor conditions within the ghetto, as well as the dangers faced by Jews and those who tried to help them during WWII. Ages 9–12. Author’s agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group.

November 15, 2015
Grades 2-4 Each book in the Encounter: Narrative Nonfiction Picture Books series follows the life and work of a notable woman in history, framing her story in a way that young readers can understand. Jars of Hope examines the life of Irena Sendler, a member of the Polish Resistance group Zegota during WWII, who smuggled more than 2,500 Jewish children out of ghettos before they could be sent to concentration camps. Though careful not to take too many liberties with a historical text, these read like fiction and will spark the interest of many young readers. Each installment has a different illustrator, giving them all a unique flavor, and all have some sort of back matter that recaps the facts gleaned from the story. They vary somewhat in audience ranges but this is an interesting concept with an effective, highly visual approach.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-Roy tells the story of Irena Sendler, a Polish nurse and social worker who saved many Jewish children during World War II. Sendler took the advice her father once gave her to heart ("If you see someone drowning...you must jump in and save them, whether you can swim or not") when she smuggled food, medicine, and supplies to Polish Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto and helped get Jewish children out. Sendler kept meticulous records of each of the 2,500 children she saved. She buried the lists in jars in her friend's backyard in the hope that the children could be reunited with their parents after the war. Though she was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo, she refused to reveal any information. Readers learn from the afterword that Sendler survived the war and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize but that she never considered herself a hero, merely someone doing the right thing. Roy's text is enhanced by the somber, expressive illustrations, created digitally and traditionally drawn. Back matter is included, but readers will need to be familiar with World War II and Holocaust history to fully understand the risks that Sendler took and the profound impact of her actions. Susan Goldman Rubin's Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto (Holiday House) is more detailed and provides more historical context, while Marcia Vaughan's Irena's Jars of Secrets (Lee & Low, both 2011) is another illustrated biography similar in scope and content. VERDICT While effective, Roy's version does not offer anything new or different and isn't an essential purchase for libraries that already own the aforementioned titles.-Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2015
The brave work of Irena Sendler, one of the righteous gentiles of World War II, is succinctly depicted in this new picture book. "There are two kinds of people in this world, good and bad." As a child, wise words from her father gave Irena a guiding principle to live by and prompted the adult Sendler to find ways to save 2,500 innocent Jewish children and babies from the horror of their Holocaust fate. She worked with a network of smugglers and shelters to hide them in carpentry boxes, vegetable sacks, and laundry piles, transporting them to orphanages and the homes of willing Christian foster families, recording the children's names so they could be found later and burying her lists in the titular jars. And when she herself was imprisoned by the Nazis, Zegota, the Polish resistance group, bribed guards to free her so she could continue her important work. Digital and traditional art in opaque dark browns and grays illustrates the sinister period and shadowy existence of these saved children. Roy's chronological narrative concentrates on the period from 1940 to 1944 and stresses Sendler's heroism; it also includes invented scenes and dialogue, marking it as fiction. A sensitive, discussable access point for children learning about Holocaust history. (afterword, author's note, glossary, index, source notes) (Picture book. 8-10)

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