Felix lives in an orphanage run by nuns in the mountains Poland waiting for his parents, who are Jewish booksellers, to return for him when their business improves. However, this is 1941 and their return is unlikely. When he discovers Nazis are burning books, he escapes from the orphanage to warn his parents. However, back in his old village everything has changed and he is chased away: his old life has been taken and he is no longer welcome there. So he follows the road to the town where he sees a burning farm and rescues a small girl, who he can only imagine must be in the same position as he is. So begins his adventure with Zelda; his surrogate sister whom he adores and will do anything for no matter how hard their journey is and no matter what the struggle. This is the story of their quest, their relationship and their survival together against all the odds at the most dangerous time in history to be a small, Jewish boy almost entirely alone...

This novel has so much to recommend it and although I have not read 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas' I am reliably informed that they have similar qualities and that this is, if anything, even better. I would certainly suggest that this is a great introduction to younger readers learning about the Holocaust as it deals with this truly devastating topic with sensitivity and understanding. Felix's narrative voice is utterly convincing and draws us into his personal story as much as he uses inventive stories to draw in Zelda and help her cope. There is something both engaging and deeply moving about the naivety of his perspective. For example, he initially believes that the Nazis are burning books simply because they don't like them. The sense of place is also imaginatively conveyed by Gleitzman as he captures both the forests of Poland and the horrifying march of Jews on the dusty roads to the Death Camps.

However, the book is ultimately incomplete. There are three more books in the series and at only 140 pages, this one feels as if it has been broken off half way through and thus unfinished. There was a lack of resolution or even clarity about the ending and whilst I have no doubt that this will come in the sequel, 'Then', it still fills like a bit of a publishing trick to split what feels like one book into two.

Nonetheless, this is a sensitive and emotional portrayal of a horribly dark time in history that Gleitzman at once exposes the reader to, but at the same time, gives us a sense of a hope and even an uplifting message through the nobility of his central character. Although brief and perhaps a little sentimental at times, this was a harrowing and darkly engaging tale that would be perfect for younger readers.