The Secret of the Village Fool

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Pub Date Sep 01 2012 | Archive Date Jan 31 2016

Description

Milek and his brother Munio live in a sleepy village in Poland, where nothing exciting seems to happen. They reluctantly do as their mother asks when she asks them to visit their neighbor Anton, knowing that the rest of the village laughs at him because of his strange habits of speaking to animals and only eating vegetables. Things change quickly when war comes to their town in the form of Nazi soldiers searching for Jewish families like that of Milek and Munio. Anton refuses to tell the soldiers where to find them, and then goes so far as to hide the family in his own home, putting his life at risk without a thought. Based on a true story.

Milek and his brother Munio live in a sleepy village in Poland, where nothing exciting seems to happen. They reluctantly do as their mother asks when she asks them to visit their neighbor Anton...


Advance Praise

"Modern children are so far removed from the Holocaust that it is extremely difficult to convey its horrors. Upjohn makes this true story personal, immediate and accessible without resorting to bathos or sentimentality. Benoit’s sepia-tinted, ominously shadowed illustrations convey darkness, fear and uncertainty... Powerful and deeply moving." -Kirkus Reviews

"With a reporter’s eye for action and detail, she brings alive the horror, deprivation, and even boredom that the hidden Jews face while Anton, who never sheds his oddness, bravely denies their presence to both the Germans and the anti-Semitic villagers." - Publisher's Weekly

"The story is a tearjerker in all the right ways—neither overtly didactic nor overly sentimental. It, nevertheless, both teaches history and illustrates human compassion in unexpected places with its moving, straight­forward narrative. ... This is a great book for elemen­tary school age children who are learning about the Holocaust and is sure to provoke much discussion. Highly recommended for ages 8 and up." - Jewish Book World starred review

"Modern children are so far removed from the Holocaust that it is extremely difficult to convey its horrors. Upjohn makes this true story personal, immediate and accessible without resorting to...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781926920757
PRICE $18.95 (USD)

Average rating from 15 members


Featured Reviews

I am completely into World War II, specifically the Holocaust and all of the people who did GOOD to those being persecuted and killed. There was so much horror and evil, that the stories of good shine all the brighter and give me hope that should anything that evil happen again, that good will rally and win.

This is a children's picture book about a real life "village idiot" and the family he helped to hide and keep safe for a year, putting his own life in danger's way. I really liked that after the story was over, what happened to those in hiding and Anton afterwards was shared, including pictures and reunion.

This is a great book to read to younger ones, to teach that all life is precious and that even in the midst of evil, good will prevail if we work towards it. It also teaches not to condemn those who are different from us, as they have skills and abilities that we can all respect and may even need.

Five stars. I recommend it to all. Never forget and never stop loving and trying to help those around you.

My thanks to NetGalley and Second Story Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

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Lovely childrens picture picture, which shows the differene one person can make in the face of wrongdoing. Set apart from his fellow villagers, as he sees the world in a different way, Anton is known as the "Village Idiot". BUt when the unstoppable force of the Nazi regime moves into the area, Anton protects a group of Jewish people by hiding them under his house. He is stalwart in his protection of them. The story is well structured for those children that my have started in an interest of awareness of the Holocaust, but might not just yet be up to reading The Diary of Anne Frank. The illustrations lend a timely historical feel.

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What a wonderful, true story! Over the past decade, I have seen many stories come from the WWII era...stories of heroism and bravery. This one is exciting and uplifting. It is on a children's level, but conveys the emotions that the characters felt at different times. Also, there is a "what happened afterward" section in the back, with photos and stories of the real characters. Very touching. The pictures are lovely, too. Well done!

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I am always happy to learn of a new book about the Holocaust and what people did to stand up against such evil. This story is amazing and I love the actual pictures with the real people at the end. I can't even amazing what it was like to live like they had to for so long. Thank you Uphohn for sure an incredible story.

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