This is a horror story. Highly disturbing. Who the heck is this aimed at?!

It’s about the horrors of war/the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of a young (non-Jewish) German girl who doesn’t fully understand the situation of the war going on. She does see some suffering though and tries to alleviate it. She’s a wonderfully compassionate person.

Children who read or listen to this story are going to have questions, I think.

The book is beautifully illustrated but I found the story unsatisfying. The end didn’t work for me; I wanted more. I am fine with disturbing stories, especially if aimed at a suitably mature audience, but this sparse tale is awfully dark for the picture book age set. And, while as an adult I understood exactly what happens, I don’t think most children will without an explanation. If you read this to young children, be prepared to have a discussion, and I don’t recommend this for young kids, not at all.

The co-author/illustrator used the significant name Rose Blanche for the young girl; it was also the name of a group of young German citizens who protested the war and were all killed. I’ve read quite a bit about the White Rose members and their courage, but the accounts were all written for an adult audience.

I can’t say I recommend it for young kids. Children who already know something about war, and in particular the Holocaust, will probably get something positive out of this book. Children too young or sensitive to learn about the Holocaust and the killing (including the killing of children) that happens during wartime should probably not have this book as their introduction to such atrocities.

I do appreciate what these authors and illustrator are trying to contribute.

I just looked at the ratings distribution and I see I’m in the minority in giving this book only 3 stars.

I also read this British translation of the book, and you can tell right away that they're positioning it differently because the translator's name is right there on the cover, as if he co-wrote the book, rather than having it as part of the front matter inside. This translation is overlong, dull while trying to be descriptive and literary, and a little patronizing, which is hardly surprising when you realize the translator is Ian McEwan. I feel bad for the British kids who have to read this version. McEwan took literature and turned it into a history lesson--and not even an interesting one, but one you'd give to someone you think is stupid. Go for the American version! And in the meantime I'm going to try to track down (and then do my best to read competently) the original.

Wow, racconto fotografico fortissimo!

beautiful illustrations. horribly tragic.

edit: rereading this and knowing the ending is even more of a gut punch than ever. ever want to be haunted by an illustration of spring?

What a truly upsetting picture book.

As a book that introduces kids to the idea of the Holocaust, it is a useful text. Photos give more information than text, but the discussions over those photos can be very rich. I'm glad to have it in my collection.

A powerful story about the horrors of war, twisting to an alternative perspective that we do not always hear- the point of view of a German child. Like with a lot of war based stories, we see the highs at the beginning or war, with infectiously positive morale, which gradually deteriorates as the harsh realities kick in, and truths are uncovered.
Similarly to The Boy in Striped Pyjamas, Rose Blanche is an empathetic character who discovers something terrible. Rose suffers as a result of trying to help those in need and is trapped in the same way as those that she tries to support. Her actions are a stark contrast to the adult characters in the story, and it would be interesting for children to discuss the reasoning behind this.
This is definitely a story for a maturer primary child (y6), and would slot in nicely with work based on WW2.

Felt a little simplistic, and not in a good way. The language seemed to try to be suitable for a very young audience, but it didn't quite sit well with me.

I am definitely going to have this book in my classroom. The ending definitely made me cry, but it is a fantastically written book!