💜*Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's | Joy Revolution and @tbrbeyondtours, for including me to the
"Love On Paper", book tour. For the tour schedule go to https://tbrandbeyondtours.com


This was an exquisite graphic novel that dealt with love, war and the power of the human soul to endure anything. The illustrations were magnificent and portrayed the horror and terrors of the WWII and their implications to Jewish people. I HIGHLY suggest you to read this masterpiece of a graphic novel.

𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
🐦‍⬛ historical fiction
🐦‍⬛ graphic novel
🐦‍⬛ real images + artistry
🐦‍⬛ family secrets
🐦‍⬛ WWII references

Length: 261p
Source: ARC - TBR & Beyond, NetGalley
Release Date: January 21, 2025

•••••••
What an absolutely mesmerizing historical fiction graphic novel! This book right here needs to be used in EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM. Told between dual timelines, with Annick in 2011–searching the history of her family and Emma in the early 1940s–who was a huge part of Annick’s family.

The entire premise behind this amazing story is based on true events. I don’t recall ever learning about Amsterdam during WWII classes and yet it seems to have some of the most important figures in the takedown of Nazi control.

The artistry is SO GOOD. The combined usage of real photographs with subtle yet powerful animations on top was enthralling. The poems, the importance of the blackbird, all could be felt through the pages.

I’m honestly blown away right now. Such an invaluable resource that includes a thrilling plot full of rich history. And I LOVED how the author included all the facts at the end. I’m obsessed.

{I received a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}

Wow. Song of a Blackbird was such a unique way to tell such an important story. van Lieshout is able to tell the history of the Nazi's occupation of the Netherlands through the lens of a family's tale of saving their matriarch. The illustrations incorporate original drawings and photographs in a beautiful combination to show the reality and gravity of the times. Having lived in Amsterdam and seen many of these scenes, I adored this book.

One of the BEST and most BEAUTIFULLY rendered graphic novels I've ever read based on true events, this dual timeline story tells about Dutch resistance workers, siblings separated by war, chronic illness and the power of art to beat down the dark in troubling times. I devoured this and loved the mixed media format of the artwork. HIGHLY recommended especially for fans of books like Art Spiegelman's Maus. Many thanks to NetGalley and FirstSecond for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I will 100% be running out to get a print copy for my forever shelves when this book is released!!

Annick cares for her grandmother, Johanna, who is ill with cancer. They find out their last effort at finding a bone marrow match has failed, because Johanna's family is not her biological family. So Annick sets out to find her real family, and what unfolds is the story of a family separated during World War II. Johanna and her brother were left with friends when their parents were taken by the Nazi's. When they have to split up, they get involved with teens who are part of the resistance, including the art student Emma. Through Emma's art, they need to piece together what exactly happened to their family in time to help Johanna.

This graphic novel is compelling on so many levels: the art is beautiful, a dual story line takes place in 2010 and during WWII, created as a compendium of factual events arranged into a suspenseful multi-dimensional plot, and filled with inspiring characters. I love the combination of graphic illustration and black and white, and color, photographs. There is romance, there is poetry, there is music, there is language, there is bravery, there is love, and there is history.

Annick's beloved oma is dying of leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant, but she discovers her siblings are not actually related to her by blood. Annick vows to find her real family so that she can save her oma, and then finds herself immersed in a family mystery based in wartime heroics, that spans continents, and warms the heart.

This was a fascinating graphic novel. I thought it was a personal account of a family member of the author but was an amalgamation of historical figures. It was still an incredibly interesting story.

Thank you to NetGalley, First Second Books, First Second, and Maria van Lieshout for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

While this graphic novel is historical fiction, it is steeped in elements of history relating to Amsterdam during the Holocaust, portraying a vivid tale with an interesting blend of real photo images and simple artwork to tell the tale.

This graphic novel is from the perspective of a blackbird, a simple creature that merely observes, but doesn't experience the tangle of human affairs. The story alternates between 2011 and 1944-1945. In 2011, a teenage girl named Annick seeks a bone marrow donor to save her grandmother, as none of the blood family members are a match. In her efforts, she meets an artist who opens her eyes to the power of street art, and together they unravel the secrets of Annick's family history in hopes of finding someone who can save her grandmother.

In 1944-1945, the story follows a girl names Emma, who ends up working for the rebellion in a print shop. Her art is phenomenal, and she finds printing her art (among other things) to be a powerful way to rebel. These art prints are something Annick finds her grandmother has copies of, leading the present to tie into the past in an intertwined storytelling. Of course, Emma just has to avoid the SS and make it through the war....

I found this to be a phenomenal graphic novel with a unique dual-timeline storytelling process from the viewpoint of a little black bird, as well as the unique artwork combination. While fiction, the back of the book has some really great facts and photos to draw the line between fiction and actual history. This immersive graphic novel would pair very well with Night or any holocaust or WWII unit for a high school audience. A must-read!

Beautiful story and illustrations. The book isn't perfect, and there are some issues with continuity, but I found the themes and story as a whole to be well written and engaging.

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second Books for the digital arc.
Unique graphic novel offers a fictionalized account of actual events in WWII Amsterdam. During the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam, the Resistance conducted operations to hide Jewish children from the Nazis. Unfortunately children were often separated for their siblings. Hanna and Sol were two of these siblings. In 2011Annick discovered that her grandmother, Oma, was not biologically related to her siblings, but was one of the children smuggled out of Amsterdam. With just a set of prints of Amsterdam buildings Annick begins to solve the mystery of Oma's background and along the way, she uncovers the incredible story of Emma Bergsma, an art student who joins the Dutch Resistance. Both timelines are told through the narration of the Blackbird . The Song of a Blackbird is a masterpiece in in storytelling. Engrossing and I highly recommend.

This is a graphic novel that switches between WWII Dutch resistance fighters and present day Annick who is trying to save her grandmother. These resistance fighters are fighting and saving Jewish children by smuggling them to other families to save them Nazis and the concentration camps. Annick’s grandmother finds out she was one of these children when she is told her siblings are not biologically related. We see this almost through the pov of the Blackbird on both timelines. This is a beautiful, heart wrenching story. It was a combination of drawings and actual photographs from WWII. The writer does state that this story is based on true events and people. I love how they give a full biography for all these pictures, people, and events she speaks of in the story. It’s definitely a beautiful story, that sheds light on the stories of those most don’t know about. Heroes that many do not know about, but heroes that fought for what they believe was right and some paid with their lives for what they believed in. Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for sharing this story with me.

4. This is great for classroom use. I will definitely want to read it again, on paper, so I can enjoy the art even more. It’s fascinating how the story is mixed with truth, the blending of historical photographs and drawings mirrors and strengthens the plot. .I love the bird as narrator, which allows the reader some distance from the intensity of events. Gives younger readers some space in which to think. Hanna and Sol’s story is the story of so many during the War. The book being centered around the Resistance is important, too. We need more stories about resistors. There’s a lot of connections for classroom use. I’ll be marking my copy with brainstorming for sure!

A graphic novel inspired by a true story, told from the unique perspective of a crow. The story follows Annick as she uncovers a family secret involving her grandmother and members of the Dutch Resistance during WWII. Though fictionalized, there is a great deal of research grounding the story, and it's quite moving to read the notes at the end about the real life inspiration for some of the characters. While the story provides hope and reflects on the strength of the human spirit, it doesn't shy away from more disturbing and tragic experiences throughout. The art is effective, featuring both fairly minimalist black and white illustrations, as well as panels that incorporate elements of historic photographs.

I really loved the unique printmaking style of this book and the way that tied into the plot. I knew about the resistance in Amsterdam during World War II, but I had no idea about the bank robbery or the way people smuggled children to safety. I think it is always important to remember not only the atrocities of the Holocaust, but also the great bravery people showed during that time to save lives. I loved the Make Art, Not Hate slogan.

It took me a while to get into the rhythm with this graphic novel as it skips around and incorporates a lot of different styles into the images. I did like the story and appreciated the historical notes about accuracy in the back.