  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 07/01/2015 This fictionalized account of Janusz Korczak’s final years introduces the famous Polish physician, author, and children’s rights advocate, who in 1942 was sent to the Treblinka extermination camp along with almost 200 children and adults from the orphanage where he was director. Older orphan Simon narrates this story, describing the group’s deteriorating circumstances as they move into the Warsaw Ghetto and eventually onto the death trains. Also spotlighted are Korczak’s democratic views on child rearing and his storytelling abilities, which helped the children to bear hunger and deprivation during their ordeal. Quarello’s shaded pencil drawings are well suited to the somber tone of the text, conveying the desperation of this situation, as well as the ways in which Mister Doctor’s stories helped to reassure his charges. Ayer’s translation (from the original Italian) reads smoothly, and an author’s note provides further information about Korczak. While this will be a difficult read for many, Cohen-Janca’s text never sensationalizes. A useful addition to Holocaust units or a catalyst for conversations about children’s rights. - Copyright 2015 Booklist. Loading...
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