The book begins by setting the mood of fear and desperation experienced by Jews in Europe during World War II:
“Hearts pounding,
breath quickening,
feet scrambling,
Down into damp basements,
up into old attics,
crammed into dark closets.During the Second World War,
the first priority for Jewish people
was staying out of sight.Because during the Second World War,
the first priority for Nazis
was getting rid of Jewish people.”
Boxer informs readers how the Star of David, a symbol of Judaism, was turned into a tool of hate by the Nazis, who forced Jewish people to wear big yellow stars on their clothing in order to set them apart as subjects of derision [and possible capture and murder].
But hate, the author avers, “has a way of bringing out heroes.” Brave volunteers helped forge fake documents so that Jews could escape [that is, if they could find a country to take them, which they could not do, all too often].
The initial barrier, however, to this means of escape was getting the fake documents into the hands of those who needed them. Jacqueline Gauthier, a teenager during the war who worked for the French resistance, helped. She tucked forged documents into a hollow duck pull toy and delivered the toy to those who needed the papers.
Ironically, Jacqueline herself was a beneficiary of fake papers. Her real name was Judith Geller. She too was actually Jewish, although her papers identified her as a Christian social worker who worked with children. Thus the fact that she would carry around a wooden duck did not arouse suspicion. One day she even had her satchel searched by a Nazi soldier, but the only result was that he yelled at her for wasting his time when all she had was a toy.
Boxer tells us that Jacqueline and the toy duck saved more than two hundred lives.
An author’s note gives more background on the Holocaust and on Geller, and shows a picture of the actual toy duck used, revealing the secret chamber for hiding documents.
The author writes:
“To me, the duck is a symbol of shining a light on the truth of the war. . . . It sits alongside diaries, dolls, shoes, and suitcases that belonged to Jewish prisoners and others killed in concentration camps.”
She notes that after the war, Geller got married, moved to Israel, and had two children. “One of their toys was the duck that helped their mother become a hero, risking her life to save people she didn’t even know.” In spite of her efforts, the author writes, 32 members of Judith Geller’s own family were killed.
The book also features an illustrator’s note, and a bibliography with links to more information.
Illustrations by Amy June Bates were made with watercolor, gouache, and pencil. Bates reports that she gathered details from Judith Geller’s memoir. She also used the visual trope of colorizing the heroine and also the yellow duck toy against a background of mostly grey or sepia. [This technique was famously employed by cinematographer Janusz Kamiński for Steven Spielberg in the 1993 movie “Schindler’s List.” Spielberg explained: “. . . the Holocaust was life without light. For me the symbol of life is color. Only a young girl in a red coat remains as the last image of a long lost innocence.”]
Still shot from “Schindler’s List”
Evaluation: It is unlikely any readers will fail to be moved by this story of bravery and resistance. One message of this book is surely that in the face of injustice, the moral choice is the only choice. Children in the intended reading group of age eight and above will have much to reflect on: What did the Holocaust mean for those who lived under Nazi control? How do you know if something is wrong even if it is passed as law – especially in the present time when disinformation is so prevalent? If you did believe something was immoral and unjust, what would you do about it?
Rating: 5/5
Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2023
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