Tomek Bogacki

In 1912, a well-known doctor and writer named Janusz Korczak designed an extraordinary orphanage for Jewish children in Warsaw, Poland. Believing that children were capable of governing themselves, he encouraged the orphans to elect a parliament, run a court, and put out their own weekly newspaper. Even when Korczak was forced to move the orphanage into the Warsaw Ghetto after Hitler's rise to power, and couldn't afford to buy food and medicine for his charges, he never lost sight of his ideals. Fully committed to giving his children as much love as possible during a terrifying time, Korczak refused to abandon them. In his most beautiful and heartfelt book to date, with evocative acrylic illustrations and spare, poignant prose, Tomek Bogacki tells the story of a courageous man who, during one of the grimmest moments in world history, dedicated his life's work― and ultimately his life itself―to children.… (mehr)

This was spectacular! I loved everything about this book. For a picture book it manages to pack in a lot. A lot of general historical background is given, in the story proper and in the historical note in the final two pages of the book. The story of Korczak’s boyhood and how he came to be the man he was and details about all his years of life. Details about his orphanage and other work with and on behalf of children. And the pictures are glorious. Absolutely beautiful and fitting perfectly with the text account. Wonderful facial expressiveness on the paintings of Korczak! Be prepared to feel emotional. With this true story it’s warranted, and the book doesn’t disappoint. Though extremely sad, Kroczak and the impact he had and still has, kept it from being depressing for me. I found it inspiring. Also apropos.

Janusz Korczak is someone I greatly admire, and I appreciated that the author-illustrator feels that way too, from his boyhood in Poland, and so this tribute to the man seems particularly special.

Thank you so much to Goodreads friend Abigail who recently urged me to read this. Many books I shelve as to-read never get read, and I’m so grateful that this one didn’t languish forever on my to-read shelf.

I have to get to Betty Jean Lifton’s book about Korczak! It’s mentioned here in the sources, and I appreciate the reminder.

If you don’t know about this remarkable man and you’re open to reading a children’s picture book, I highly recommend this one. I also recommend this book to readers of all ages who do know about this man. This could work as a good introduction to the Holocaust for school aged children. This book was published in 2009; I hate to contemplate how it might never have been. I wish it was more widely known and read; unfortunately, there are relatively few ratings/reviews here at Goodreads and even fewer at LibraryThing.… (mehr)