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Hidden: A Child's Story of the Holocaust
In this gentle, poetic young graphic novel, Dounia, a grandmother, tells her granddaughter the story even her son has never heard: how, as a young Jewish girl in Paris, she was hidden away from the Nazis by a series of neighbors and friends who risked their lives to keep her alive when her parents had been taken to concentration camps.
Hidden ends on a tender note, with Dounia and her mother rediscovering each other as World War II ends . . . and a young girl in present-day France becoming closer to her grandmother, who can finally, after all those years, tell her story. With words by Loïc Dauvillier and art by Marc Lizano and Greg Salsedo, this picture book-style comic for young readers is a touching read.
"Originally published in 2012 by Le Lombard under the title L'Enfant Cache"--Copyright page.
Hidden ends on a tender note, with Dounia and her mother rediscovering each other as World War II ends . . . and a young girl in present-day France becoming closer to her grandmother, who can finally, after all those years, tell her story. With words by Loïc Dauvillier and art by Marc Lizano and Greg Salsedo, this picture book-style comic for young readers is a touching read.
"Originally published in 2012 by Le Lombard under the title L'Enfant Cache"--Copyright page.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
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April 1, 2014'A book about the Holocaust for kids as young as six!' you may say. 'That's just nuts!'
But, here's the thing: kids need to know about the Holocaust -- even small kids. They don't need to know about gas chambers and torture, but telling them 'this important but terrible thing happened' is really important.
And since most adults don't spend a lot of their time talking to six year-olds about the Holocaust (or about 9/11, or about any other difficult-but-important historical occurrences), it can be really difficult to find the right works to talk to a small child about these things.
That's where books like Hidden come in! It manages to take the emotional pathos of a kid hiding from the Nazis -- who herself doesn't understand what's going on with the war, just that her parents are gone and she has to hide -- and convey that in a way gives small children a basic understanding of what this situation was like without turning it into something that's too terrible for them to bear.
Books! They're so good.
But, here's the thing: kids need to know about the Holocaust -- even small kids. They don't need to know about gas chambers and torture, but telling them 'this important but terrible thing happened' is really important.
And since most adults don't spend a lot of their time talking to six year-olds about the Holocaust (or about 9/11, or about any other difficult-but-important historical occurrences), it can be really difficult to find the right works to talk to a small child about these things.
That's where books like Hidden come in! It manages to take the emotional pathos of a kid hiding from the Nazis -- who herself doesn't understand what's going on with the war, just that her parents are gone and she has to hide -- and convey that in a way gives small children a basic understanding of what this situation was like without turning it into something that's too terrible for them to bear.
Books! They're so good.
December 29, 2016
A powerful graphic novel about the Holocaust that my nine-year-old borrowed from the library unbeknownst to me. Both my children have learned about the Holocaust in school and both have seen History Detectives on PBS. Nonetheless, the questions began in the car on the way home as she was reading, so this book opened up an important and ongoing dialogue with my children about the dangerous combination of ignorance and fear and about the importance of speaking up. I read this later and found it to be as appropriate for elementary aged children as a book about such atrocities can be. It is a grandmother's story to her young granddaughter, so it makes all the important points in the gentlest way possible, with much focus on the kindness of others. 4 stars.
January 29, 2014
In the age of data and accountability, text characteristics in a digestible progression, class time is for practicing reading skills in a book from the bin with your letter. Now, after you’ve practiced from your leveled text at home for a half hour, of course you can read one of those books from the “just for fun” bin.
When graphic novels are classified “just for fun,” kids get the message loud and clear: Warning: Contains No Educational Value. Kids get it. I harmlessly asked Jake what he was reading. His response, “I’m almost finished with Hard Luck but I’m really reading…” And for many of the Jakes out there the books in the “just for fun” bin are the only healthy relationship with text that they have.
Hidden is a milestone in the fight to legitimize graphic novels in the elementary school setting. Delivering a powerful story through thought provoking images and delicate text, Hidden manages to make the events surrounding the holocaust accessible to young readers. Told by a grandmother to her granddaughter, the relationship assures young readers they are in considerate hands. The structure also enables breaks for commentary, both from the elder perspective and from the child inexperienced in such cruelty. Dauvillier and Lizano present the Nazi occupation of France thorough a lens of such innocence that the story feels as personal as diary. Except that Hidden’s most powerful moments are communicated through images. Scenes so powerful that it’s impossible not to infer, predict, ask questions, and analyze the situation. You know, all of those thinking skills we want our students to apply to their texts?
The common core is focused on the essential skills students need to develop into strong readers. Students in third grade classes were enthralled by this opening section. It was clear from the outset that they had very little knowledge of how to interpret a graphic novel and the variety of stories that could be told in this format. Classes sat with rapt attention as the book was projected onto a screen. They engaged with each other without prompting, pointing out subtleties such as the change in color tone between scenes. One student commented, “You can feel everything she’s going through.” Several asked when we would have a copies in.
One of the most memorable scenes takes place in the panels below. We see from the text bubble that Dounia arrives home in the middle of a discussion. The panel provides the perfect opportunity to model how we don’t immediately understand the meaning of the line, “We’ll do as I said.” Keeping true the authentic observations of a child, Dounia simply observes that her father was home from work early. While her father explains the star as an honor, it’s the imagery on the next page that informs the reader something’s amiss. A succession of heart-wrenching discrimination scenes finally provides kids with the star’s context. Just as expected, students asked to return to the panel when Dounia returns home where they immediately offered their theories about the context of the conversation not pictured. Some pretty sophisticated inferencing from third graders.
Hidden, both through artistic style and a relatable perspective, capitalizes on our underlying sense of right and wrong. When students are stimulated and engaged moving them towards more abstract thinking becomes infinitely easier. Graphic novels are the perfect vehicle for students to practice complex thinking by offloading some of the strain associated with decoding. Especially for students who struggle with reading, they offer a forum for kids to feel the success and pride that comes from deep comprehension of difficult content. It’s a lot easier to ask students to close read straight text when all they have to do is transpose the skills they’re already fluent with. Hidden is a thoroughly compelling story pitch perfect in format. Upper elementary school teachers looking for a text that will elevate the level of discussion, provide a backdrop for character building, while building a sense of shared beliefs in their classroom community should be clamoring to get their hands on a copy.
http://mrlewis5.blogspot.com/2014/01/...
When graphic novels are classified “just for fun,” kids get the message loud and clear: Warning: Contains No Educational Value. Kids get it. I harmlessly asked Jake what he was reading. His response, “I’m almost finished with Hard Luck but I’m really reading…” And for many of the Jakes out there the books in the “just for fun” bin are the only healthy relationship with text that they have.
Hidden is a milestone in the fight to legitimize graphic novels in the elementary school setting. Delivering a powerful story through thought provoking images and delicate text, Hidden manages to make the events surrounding the holocaust accessible to young readers. Told by a grandmother to her granddaughter, the relationship assures young readers they are in considerate hands. The structure also enables breaks for commentary, both from the elder perspective and from the child inexperienced in such cruelty. Dauvillier and Lizano present the Nazi occupation of France thorough a lens of such innocence that the story feels as personal as diary. Except that Hidden’s most powerful moments are communicated through images. Scenes so powerful that it’s impossible not to infer, predict, ask questions, and analyze the situation. You know, all of those thinking skills we want our students to apply to their texts?
The common core is focused on the essential skills students need to develop into strong readers. Students in third grade classes were enthralled by this opening section. It was clear from the outset that they had very little knowledge of how to interpret a graphic novel and the variety of stories that could be told in this format. Classes sat with rapt attention as the book was projected onto a screen. They engaged with each other without prompting, pointing out subtleties such as the change in color tone between scenes. One student commented, “You can feel everything she’s going through.” Several asked when we would have a copies in.
One of the most memorable scenes takes place in the panels below. We see from the text bubble that Dounia arrives home in the middle of a discussion. The panel provides the perfect opportunity to model how we don’t immediately understand the meaning of the line, “We’ll do as I said.” Keeping true the authentic observations of a child, Dounia simply observes that her father was home from work early. While her father explains the star as an honor, it’s the imagery on the next page that informs the reader something’s amiss. A succession of heart-wrenching discrimination scenes finally provides kids with the star’s context. Just as expected, students asked to return to the panel when Dounia returns home where they immediately offered their theories about the context of the conversation not pictured. Some pretty sophisticated inferencing from third graders.
Hidden, both through artistic style and a relatable perspective, capitalizes on our underlying sense of right and wrong. When students are stimulated and engaged moving them towards more abstract thinking becomes infinitely easier. Graphic novels are the perfect vehicle for students to practice complex thinking by offloading some of the strain associated with decoding. Especially for students who struggle with reading, they offer a forum for kids to feel the success and pride that comes from deep comprehension of difficult content. It’s a lot easier to ask students to close read straight text when all they have to do is transpose the skills they’re already fluent with. Hidden is a thoroughly compelling story pitch perfect in format. Upper elementary school teachers looking for a text that will elevate the level of discussion, provide a backdrop for character building, while building a sense of shared beliefs in their classroom community should be clamoring to get their hands on a copy.
http://mrlewis5.blogspot.com/2014/01/...
July 23, 2016
A tween/children's graphic historical novel by French team Dauvillier and Lizano where a grandmother tells her granddaughter, Dounia, of her experiences as a Jewish girl hidden in a closet in Vichy Paris in 1942, sheltered by neighbors as her family is captured and sent to a camp. Doesn't add to much to what we know, but it's great introduction to the topic of the Holocaust, an inspiration to kids about doing the right thing in the face of racism and injustice, and beautiful drawn by Lizano with these big round sweet faces.
Here's a 42 second book trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC-f9...
I thought it was a 3.5 story, bumped up to 4 for the art.
Here's a 42 second book trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC-f9...
I thought it was a 3.5 story, bumped up to 4 for the art.
August 8, 2015
Don't be deceived by the cover - this is a "Juvenile Graphic Novel," not a "Picture Book." Pretty good one, too.
A modern-day little girl wakes up to find her grandmother awake in the middle of the night. The grandmother tells her granddaughter the story about her early life during the Holocaust. The story involves being separated from her parents, hiding in small spaces for hours and hours, and living with strangers. Considering the horrors of the time, it's a relatively gentle tale, and made me tear up at the end, when we go back to our contemporary timeframe.
Read with A Bag of Marbles and Gaijin: American Prisoner of War.
A modern-day little girl wakes up to find her grandmother awake in the middle of the night. The grandmother tells her granddaughter the story about her early life during the Holocaust. The story involves being separated from her parents, hiding in small spaces for hours and hours, and living with strangers. Considering the horrors of the time, it's a relatively gentle tale, and made me tear up at the end, when we go back to our contemporary timeframe.
Read with A Bag of Marbles and Gaijin: American Prisoner of War.
December 2, 2018
What a great book.
I picked this up just as a fun book to boost up my book count but wow. That was amazing.
I really recommend picking this one up. I will definitely be buying this for my personal library.
Five Stars!
I picked this up just as a fun book to boost up my book count but wow. That was amazing.
I really recommend picking this one up. I will definitely be buying this for my personal library.
Five Stars!
April 4, 2021
A good introduction to the Holocaust for young middle graders. In this graphic novel we follow a grandmother telling her granddaughter of her experiences during this tragic world event. Although, we only scratch the bare surface of what happened it is still a good introduction for younger readers.
January 12, 2015
Wow. This is one giant step for graphic novels for middle grade readers. This remarkable book, originally published in France, is at first poetic and intriguing, but then it begins to expand in ways that make it one of the finest Holocaust stories for children that I've read in a long time. Living in Paris, young Dounia thinks it's fun at first when her father announces that the family will pretend to be sheriffs and all wear gold stars on their chests. School smacks her in the face with reality, when her friends abandon her, and her teacher forces her to sit at the back of the class and won't call on her when she raises her hand. The boy she secretly likes, Isaac, has it worse. His teacher makes him stand on his desk and pull down his pants to show how Jewish boys' private parts are different-and wrong. I can't imagine the latter incident in an American book for the same age range. Dounia's parents are taken to the camps while she survives by hiding under a false bottom in a family cupboard. Non-Jewish members of the Resistance change her name and care for her until her mother returns from the camps in a harrowing image. ("At first I didn't recognize her. It took me a moment to be sure she was really my mommy.") The kid-friendly images are reminiscent of Peanuts, with the characters' big heads and funny expressions. The framing device of the book is a grandmother (Dounia) whose granddaughter wakes her up from a nightmare and asks her what's wrong. Elderly Dounia is able to tell the girl the story she's held tightly inside and was never able to share with her son. This struck me as very true. My maternal grandmother and great aunt told me about what they saw of the Armenian Genocide as children in their native Turkey only at the end of their lives. Note: Dounia is hidden on a farm and learns to do every day work, like killing and skinning rabbits. These real-life images may be disturbing to some readers.
June 12, 2021
There are so many Holocaust books but this one is a graphic novel designed for children to understand. Think “Maus” but for kids. It was emotional but empowering and leaves the reader with a message of hope.
December 3, 2017
My 10 year old son picked this graphic novel up at the library and wanted me to read it so we could discuss. This is a very well done recounting of the Holocaust from a child’s POV. I was impressed with how well the feel of the era was portrayed while keeping things at a level that children will understand.
As a parent some of the scenes in this were especially touching. Watching as Dounia’s parents tried to make wearing the Star of David a “fun” thing for their daughter and make her feel special even as the world around them was descending into violence. It was sad how even all their efforts couldn’t protect them from the atrocities of that time.
Parts of this book are very sad, but in the end the tone ends up being hopeful. My son really liked it because he said he felt like he understood a lot better how things went then. He mentioned he had never read an account of the Holocaust from a Jewish kid’s point of view and this really brought home to him how scary and awful the Holocaust was.
My son has actually read through this a few more times, he told me he is trying to understand why people would do the types of things that happened in the Holocaust. This book is a great discussion point of an era in history that needs to be discussed with kids so that nothing like that ever happens again. It’s presented in a way that is approachable.
Additionally the graphic novel itself is well put together. The illustrations are well done and the story is easy to follow. The characters are engaging and easy to relate to.
Overall I would highly recommend this graphic novel. It is a very well done accounting of the Holocaust from a Jewish child’s point of view. This is something every parent should talk to their children about and this is a great way to do that. Just be prepared for lots of questions and remember parts of it are sad.
As a parent some of the scenes in this were especially touching. Watching as Dounia’s parents tried to make wearing the Star of David a “fun” thing for their daughter and make her feel special even as the world around them was descending into violence. It was sad how even all their efforts couldn’t protect them from the atrocities of that time.
Parts of this book are very sad, but in the end the tone ends up being hopeful. My son really liked it because he said he felt like he understood a lot better how things went then. He mentioned he had never read an account of the Holocaust from a Jewish kid’s point of view and this really brought home to him how scary and awful the Holocaust was.
My son has actually read through this a few more times, he told me he is trying to understand why people would do the types of things that happened in the Holocaust. This book is a great discussion point of an era in history that needs to be discussed with kids so that nothing like that ever happens again. It’s presented in a way that is approachable.
Additionally the graphic novel itself is well put together. The illustrations are well done and the story is easy to follow. The characters are engaging and easy to relate to.
Overall I would highly recommend this graphic novel. It is a very well done accounting of the Holocaust from a Jewish child’s point of view. This is something every parent should talk to their children about and this is a great way to do that. Just be prepared for lots of questions and remember parts of it are sad.
May 10, 2014
Splendid story of the plight of Jews in Nazi-occupied France. A grandmother tells her granddaughter her story of the holocaust and how she was taken care of by a French family when her parents were carted off to a concentration camp one night. A beautiful, moving story that manages to tell the heartbreak and tragedy from a young child's perspective. The child is not told much of what is really going on, just enough to know the danger and that something very bad is happening. The adults are trying to protect a small part of her childhood innocence in the middle of all this horror. This makes "Hidden" a perfect first book on the holocaust for younger children, as the content is kept very age appropriate for about Gr. 2/3 and up. I'm impressed with the quality and reality of the tale while being sensitive to its younger audience. I love the art which is typically French and also uses disproportionate bodies with large heads. I seem to have read a large number of French comics this year and have become quite impressed with the work coming out of that country. Recommended!
November 28, 2017
4 stars!
Hidden tells the story of Dounia when she was a young girl during the Holocaust. This is meant for young readers so both the art and story is simple to follow. Sometimes the simplest of stories pack the hardest emotional punch and this was the case with Hidden. Dounia's confusion and fear were vividly conveyed and I felt so much for this little girl who was segregated from her peers then separated from her parents because of the war. The ending was both heartbreaking and hopeful. While this didn't really add anything new to our knowledge of the Holocaust, it's still a good read about the effects of war especially on children and recommend it.
Hidden tells the story of Dounia when she was a young girl during the Holocaust. This is meant for young readers so both the art and story is simple to follow. Sometimes the simplest of stories pack the hardest emotional punch and this was the case with Hidden. Dounia's confusion and fear were vividly conveyed and I felt so much for this little girl who was segregated from her peers then separated from her parents because of the war. The ending was both heartbreaking and hopeful. While this didn't really add anything new to our knowledge of the Holocaust, it's still a good read about the effects of war especially on children and recommend it.
November 10, 2021
The Batchelder Award Nominee and the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Older Readers historical fiction graphic novel, “hidden” by Loïc Davillier, is a child’s story of the Holocaust. Dounia, a grandmother, recounts her story of the Holocaust to her grandaughter. The story begins with Dounia having a nightmare and her granddaughter comforting her on a chair. This sparks Dounia to tell her story that not even her own son knows; her family and neighbors had to hide away from the Nazis in Paris. Dounia’s parents were sent away to concentration camps while they hid her in a box to protect her. Douina was forced to change her name, her religion, and even pretend her neighbor was her mother. She completely changed her identity while processing all the events. The author shows Dounia’s mother returning from a camp, but doesn’t mention her father. Instead of telling us that he died like most Jews, Davilier mentions he never returned home. At the end of the story, readers learn that it took Dounia a long time to tell her story because it was to painful too recount her memories.
This story shares history with readers, such as members of the Jewish community being sent away to concentration camps, showing Dounia’s mother thin and weak, and the Star David being worn on their jacket. Another aspect the author included was the treatment of Jews in school. They were sent to the back of class and even kicked out of school for being Jewish. This heartfelt story filled with detailed illustrations shows readers the pain and suffering members in the Jewish community went through to protect one another, and how they stayed safe during a time of unknown and uncertainty.
This would be a great story to read for any Social Studies lesson/unit about the Holocaust. Students could compare and contrast this fictional character to a real person who lived during the time of the Holocaust, such as Anne Frank. This graphic novel is suitable for 2-3 grade students. I found this book in our course textbook, Children’s Books in Children’s Hands: A Brief Introduction to Their Literature, in the Historical Fiction chapter.
This story shares history with readers, such as members of the Jewish community being sent away to concentration camps, showing Dounia’s mother thin and weak, and the Star David being worn on their jacket. Another aspect the author included was the treatment of Jews in school. They were sent to the back of class and even kicked out of school for being Jewish. This heartfelt story filled with detailed illustrations shows readers the pain and suffering members in the Jewish community went through to protect one another, and how they stayed safe during a time of unknown and uncertainty.
This would be a great story to read for any Social Studies lesson/unit about the Holocaust. Students could compare and contrast this fictional character to a real person who lived during the time of the Holocaust, such as Anne Frank. This graphic novel is suitable for 2-3 grade students. I found this book in our course textbook, Children’s Books in Children’s Hands: A Brief Introduction to Their Literature, in the Historical Fiction chapter.
November 1, 2020
After years of waiting, I finally managed to buy this incredible graphic novel. Almost a precursor in terms of form and content to Spiegelman's Maus: Un survivant raconte, tome 1: Mon père saigne l'histoire, Hidden opens with a grandmother and her granddaughter together at night cuddle in an armchair. Having heard her grandmother wake up from a nightmare, the little girl investigates and asks her to share her worries. At first grandmother is reluctant to, she hasn't even shared this worry with her own son, but something about her granddaughter seems inviting and so she does.
What happens then is a series of flashbacks to Dounia's life in France during Nazi occupancy. Ignorantly forced to wear the star of David to school, Dounia suddenly finds her world turned upside down. She is segregated and ostracised by residents of the city and her school-friends too. One night her parents hide her but are then taken away from her by the police. Fortunately a neighbour in the flat below and her husband rescue her and seek to do all they can to help Dounia escape.
Wisely, this graphic novel chooses to not tell the story of the Holocaust but rather the damage it inflicted on those who were there and the families who managed to escape. We feel this through grandmother's grief and heartbreak for her own parents and the tenderness in which she cares for her new family. Incredible storytelling.
What happens then is a series of flashbacks to Dounia's life in France during Nazi occupancy. Ignorantly forced to wear the star of David to school, Dounia suddenly finds her world turned upside down. She is segregated and ostracised by residents of the city and her school-friends too. One night her parents hide her but are then taken away from her by the police. Fortunately a neighbour in the flat below and her husband rescue her and seek to do all they can to help Dounia escape.
Wisely, this graphic novel chooses to not tell the story of the Holocaust but rather the damage it inflicted on those who were there and the families who managed to escape. We feel this through grandmother's grief and heartbreak for her own parents and the tenderness in which she cares for her new family. Incredible storytelling.
September 23, 2020
4.5/5 (physical book)
Hidden. The story of a young girl during the Holocaust.
Hidden tells the story of Dounia, a young Jewish girl living in France during the 1930s. The story begins with normal life for Dounia - school, friends, family dinners. This is all quickly changed when the police come and take her parents away to a concentration camp and Dounia is forced to hide until someone comes to get her.
This graphic novel is gripping and real. With the illustrations to go with the text, the story gets a whole new life, filled with maximum emotion.
I am not normally a graphic novel reader, but I finished this book in about 45 minutes, gripped into the story of a young girl looking and hoping to find her parents.
Hidden is a conversation starter for this extremely difficult topic when working with young readers, and I think this story can help build empty reading skills.
I will be recommending this graphic novel in the future, for sure.
Hidden. The story of a young girl during the Holocaust.
Hidden tells the story of Dounia, a young Jewish girl living in France during the 1930s. The story begins with normal life for Dounia - school, friends, family dinners. This is all quickly changed when the police come and take her parents away to a concentration camp and Dounia is forced to hide until someone comes to get her.
This graphic novel is gripping and real. With the illustrations to go with the text, the story gets a whole new life, filled with maximum emotion.
I am not normally a graphic novel reader, but I finished this book in about 45 minutes, gripped into the story of a young girl looking and hoping to find her parents.
Hidden is a conversation starter for this extremely difficult topic when working with young readers, and I think this story can help build empty reading skills.
I will be recommending this graphic novel in the future, for sure.
March 3, 2019
A good graphic novel introduction to the Holocaust. We see the point of view of a grandmother telling her grandchild her experiences as a young Jewish girl in France, including witnessing her parents be sent to concentration camps, having to hide with neighbors and other good samaritans from the Nazis, and then reuniting with her mother. The illustrations show what's happening with subtlety and sensitivity. It could lead to important discussions about the Holocaust for children.
October 12, 2022
A very interesting graphic novel which explores the holocaust from the perspective of a child. The naivety of the main character is very sweet, as we as the reader don't want her to find out what is happening but worry and fear for her as the book progresses. Despite the somewhat happy climax to the narrative, the book is very sad when it comes to it's exploration of the holocaust and what happens throughout the narrative to the main character.
June 1, 2017
First Second books always does beautiful work with their translations. A very well told, somewhat gentle introduction to the Holocaust - not too scary for kids, but still honest.
April 27, 2014
When Elsa, 6, discovers her grandmother, Dounia Cohen, crying one night, the little girl convinces her to talk about what's causing her tears. And so, her grandma begins telling her about her own life when she was Elsa's age living in Paris.
Her best friend was Catherine and they both had a crush on Isaac, and all three went to the same school. One day, when Dounia came home from school, her father was already there. He told Dounia there were to become a family of sheriffs and soon a yellow star was sewn onto her clothes. The next day, Isaac didn't show up for school and Dounia was told to sit in the back of the room, and learned that her star was meant to mark her as Jewish, not a sheriff.
When the police show up at the door one night, Dounia's parents put her into a hiding place and tell her to quietly wait for someone to come and get her. When her neighbor comes, Dounia learns that her parents had been taken away, and the apartment ransacked.
The neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Péricard, take care of Dounia in secret as long as they can, but eventually they learn that the police are planning a surprise visit to find her. Dounia's name is changed to Simone Pierret, but before they can get away, someone spots Dounia. She and Mrs. Péricard make it to the prearranged point for Dounia to be picked up and moved, but now Mrs. Péricard is also in danger and has no idea what happened to her husband. The two are taken to the farm of an older woman named Germaine by Resistance workers. Dounia had been told she must think of the Péricards as her parents, and now as Simone, she also becomes a young Catholic girl in order to keep her safe and hidden from the Nazis.
Dounia and Mrs. Péricard remain on the farm for the rest of the war, each wondering what became of their loved ones.
Hidden is the powerful story of a young girl who doesn't completely understand what is happening around her, why people suddenly dislike her and all other Jews so much and, most importantly, the sudden disappearance of so many people including her parents, How does one deal with this? Clearly, it took Dounia years to do that, since even her own son didn't know about his mother's experiences in Nazi occupation of France.
How does a young reader who is hearing about the Holocaust for possibly the first time deal with such a disturbing subject? Clearly, a book about the Holocaust for kids, whether it is a graphic or traditional picture book, requires a very fine balance between story, information, and illustrations so that the story gives just the right amount of age appropriate information, but not so much that you frighten kids. Hidden is a book that is so powerful in its simplicity, to honest in it telling that it definitely achieves this fine balance.
The translation by Alexis Siegel from the original French into English contains no ambiguities, and the dialogue flows comfortably and naturally. I seem to be reading graphic novels about World War II and the Holocaust more and more lately, and they seem to be getting better and better. The illustrations by Marc Lizano are reminiscent of a child's drawing, though the background is more sophisticated. Still, the faces, even in their simplicity, really manage to convey a wide range of emotions - fear, sadness, anger, kindness, hate, love and ultimately even hope. And the colorist, Greg Salsedo, really gives the illustrations a sense of the time, place and mood using his color palette.
Dounia's story is similar to that of many children in France. In fact, in the Afterword, Hellen Kaufmann, president of the AJPN (Association Anonymes, Justes et Persecutés pendant la période nazie) writes that 84% of Jewish children living in France before the war survived because of people like Mrs. Péricard and Germaine and the Resistance workers who found safe homes for them were willing to risk their own lives to hide and protect these children from the Nazis and the collaborating French police.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was purchased for my personal library
This review was originally posted at The Children's War
Her best friend was Catherine and they both had a crush on Isaac, and all three went to the same school. One day, when Dounia came home from school, her father was already there. He told Dounia there were to become a family of sheriffs and soon a yellow star was sewn onto her clothes. The next day, Isaac didn't show up for school and Dounia was told to sit in the back of the room, and learned that her star was meant to mark her as Jewish, not a sheriff.
When the police show up at the door one night, Dounia's parents put her into a hiding place and tell her to quietly wait for someone to come and get her. When her neighbor comes, Dounia learns that her parents had been taken away, and the apartment ransacked.
The neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Péricard, take care of Dounia in secret as long as they can, but eventually they learn that the police are planning a surprise visit to find her. Dounia's name is changed to Simone Pierret, but before they can get away, someone spots Dounia. She and Mrs. Péricard make it to the prearranged point for Dounia to be picked up and moved, but now Mrs. Péricard is also in danger and has no idea what happened to her husband. The two are taken to the farm of an older woman named Germaine by Resistance workers. Dounia had been told she must think of the Péricards as her parents, and now as Simone, she also becomes a young Catholic girl in order to keep her safe and hidden from the Nazis.
Dounia and Mrs. Péricard remain on the farm for the rest of the war, each wondering what became of their loved ones.
Hidden is the powerful story of a young girl who doesn't completely understand what is happening around her, why people suddenly dislike her and all other Jews so much and, most importantly, the sudden disappearance of so many people including her parents, How does one deal with this? Clearly, it took Dounia years to do that, since even her own son didn't know about his mother's experiences in Nazi occupation of France.
How does a young reader who is hearing about the Holocaust for possibly the first time deal with such a disturbing subject? Clearly, a book about the Holocaust for kids, whether it is a graphic or traditional picture book, requires a very fine balance between story, information, and illustrations so that the story gives just the right amount of age appropriate information, but not so much that you frighten kids. Hidden is a book that is so powerful in its simplicity, to honest in it telling that it definitely achieves this fine balance.
The translation by Alexis Siegel from the original French into English contains no ambiguities, and the dialogue flows comfortably and naturally. I seem to be reading graphic novels about World War II and the Holocaust more and more lately, and they seem to be getting better and better. The illustrations by Marc Lizano are reminiscent of a child's drawing, though the background is more sophisticated. Still, the faces, even in their simplicity, really manage to convey a wide range of emotions - fear, sadness, anger, kindness, hate, love and ultimately even hope. And the colorist, Greg Salsedo, really gives the illustrations a sense of the time, place and mood using his color palette.
Dounia's story is similar to that of many children in France. In fact, in the Afterword, Hellen Kaufmann, president of the AJPN (Association Anonymes, Justes et Persecutés pendant la période nazie) writes that 84% of Jewish children living in France before the war survived because of people like Mrs. Péricard and Germaine and the Resistance workers who found safe homes for them were willing to risk their own lives to hide and protect these children from the Nazis and the collaborating French police.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was purchased for my personal library
This review was originally posted at The Children's War
March 24, 2014
Stuff I Read - Hidden: A Children's Story of the Holocaust Review
I remember learning about the Holocaust in Middle School. It was probably seventh or eighth grade when I learned all about it and went to the museum in DC and that sort of thing. I remember a bit earlier than that reading Night and Maus and having a sort-of understanding about what had happened. But not until around Middle School. I mention that because Hidden is a book geared at children as young as eight or nine. It's a very simple story with lots of pictures and not a lot of words. And it teaches the Holocaust in a way that was new to me.
Perhaps part of it is that I don't really remember reading about the Holocaust much in France. In Germany and Poland, yes, but not much in France. I wonder if that is, in part, because the French were our allies and we don't like to think about them participating in something like that. But whatever the case, I never really knew much about t he experience of the French. And this story tells that tale, from the perspective of a young girl, and in a way that wouldn't confuse even a very young child. Because it's not about the war. The war isn't really even mentioned. It is a story told from the eyes of Dounia and a child, so she really only understands the broad strokes.
That doesn't really make the story hit any lighter. It's a gut-punch of a read at times, filled with sadness and shock, but there is a good deal of innocence and cheer. Dounia as a child sees the world as it is drawn, in an almost cartoonish way, even while the realities of the situation are harsh and cruel. It's a startling story, and something that lingers after the last page is turned. Which reminds me: the ending. The story is framed as something that Duonia, as an old woman, is telling her granddaughter. At the end Dounia's daughter mentions that Dounia never told her the story.
And that really is the crux of the story, that the story got told, that in the end it is more important that the story be told than to hold it back in an attempt to protect people from the pain and uncomfortable feelings that go along with it. Because it is a challenging read in some ways. It is not really fun, exactly. It is a story about the Holocaust, and no story like that can really have a happy ending, or at least one that undoes the pain and suffering. But the book states boldly with the ending that it's more important to tell the story, even if it hurts, even if people might not want to hear it, that the truth is important. And in the end it's a good book, and well worth the read and, in my opinion, an 8.5/10.
I remember learning about the Holocaust in Middle School. It was probably seventh or eighth grade when I learned all about it and went to the museum in DC and that sort of thing. I remember a bit earlier than that reading Night and Maus and having a sort-of understanding about what had happened. But not until around Middle School. I mention that because Hidden is a book geared at children as young as eight or nine. It's a very simple story with lots of pictures and not a lot of words. And it teaches the Holocaust in a way that was new to me.
Perhaps part of it is that I don't really remember reading about the Holocaust much in France. In Germany and Poland, yes, but not much in France. I wonder if that is, in part, because the French were our allies and we don't like to think about them participating in something like that. But whatever the case, I never really knew much about t he experience of the French. And this story tells that tale, from the perspective of a young girl, and in a way that wouldn't confuse even a very young child. Because it's not about the war. The war isn't really even mentioned. It is a story told from the eyes of Dounia and a child, so she really only understands the broad strokes.
That doesn't really make the story hit any lighter. It's a gut-punch of a read at times, filled with sadness and shock, but there is a good deal of innocence and cheer. Dounia as a child sees the world as it is drawn, in an almost cartoonish way, even while the realities of the situation are harsh and cruel. It's a startling story, and something that lingers after the last page is turned. Which reminds me: the ending. The story is framed as something that Duonia, as an old woman, is telling her granddaughter. At the end Dounia's daughter mentions that Dounia never told her the story.
And that really is the crux of the story, that the story got told, that in the end it is more important that the story be told than to hold it back in an attempt to protect people from the pain and uncomfortable feelings that go along with it. Because it is a challenging read in some ways. It is not really fun, exactly. It is a story about the Holocaust, and no story like that can really have a happy ending, or at least one that undoes the pain and suffering. But the book states boldly with the ending that it's more important to tell the story, even if it hurts, even if people might not want to hear it, that the truth is important. And in the end it's a good book, and well worth the read and, in my opinion, an 8.5/10.
November 14, 2019
It’s a graphic novel true story/memoir about WWII and the Holocaust, based on the real life of Dounia xxx from Paris, France. I read it because a few students in 5th grade loved it. (It says ages 3rd-6th on the book). I’m not a huge fan of graphic novels but that wasn’t what put me off. I found it confusing at times. And if I found it occasionally confusing and had to reread, perhaps children might as well. Other than that marvelous that there are graphic novels on this subject!!
March 28, 2014
Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust, masterfully introduces young readers to both the gut-wrenching horror, and the triumph of human spirit that one girl experienced in Paris in June of 1940.
The book begins with a contemporary child sleeping in a contemporary bedroom. The technique is a fabulous tool to attract reluctant readers with familiarity. Restless, the girl seeks her grandmother’s solace and her Grandma chooses to share with her the most meaningful piece of her personal history.
Grandma’s name is Dounia and she lives in Paris with her parents. Dounia is surprised to find her hard working father home from work early one day. He tells the family that they’ve been asked to be sheriffs and explains that they need to sew their sheriff stars on their jackets. It doesn’t take Dounia long to realize that her father has told her his first lie. The stars represent the fact that they are Jewish and her father is home from work because he has lost his job.
Author Loic Dauvillier and Illustrator Marc Lizano strike an enviable balance of warmth and fear, hope and love. Dounia witnesses moments of incredible darkness, violence and loss yet she is also protected by a loving family and housed by a warm farming family. Shout-out also to Colorist, Greg Salsedo who has chosen a beautiful color palette with slight fluctuations during Dounia’s moments of joy.
The book will be released in early April and would make a fabulous companion to any events surrounding he National Holocaust Remembrance Week. The book is appropriate for children from late grade school years and up though parents and educators should be aware that this is meant to serve as an introduction to the topic of the holocaust and will very likely lead to many new questions and thoughts from readers of every age.
The book begins with a contemporary child sleeping in a contemporary bedroom. The technique is a fabulous tool to attract reluctant readers with familiarity. Restless, the girl seeks her grandmother’s solace and her Grandma chooses to share with her the most meaningful piece of her personal history.
Grandma’s name is Dounia and she lives in Paris with her parents. Dounia is surprised to find her hard working father home from work early one day. He tells the family that they’ve been asked to be sheriffs and explains that they need to sew their sheriff stars on their jackets. It doesn’t take Dounia long to realize that her father has told her his first lie. The stars represent the fact that they are Jewish and her father is home from work because he has lost his job.
Author Loic Dauvillier and Illustrator Marc Lizano strike an enviable balance of warmth and fear, hope and love. Dounia witnesses moments of incredible darkness, violence and loss yet she is also protected by a loving family and housed by a warm farming family. Shout-out also to Colorist, Greg Salsedo who has chosen a beautiful color palette with slight fluctuations during Dounia’s moments of joy.
The book will be released in early April and would make a fabulous companion to any events surrounding he National Holocaust Remembrance Week. The book is appropriate for children from late grade school years and up though parents and educators should be aware that this is meant to serve as an introduction to the topic of the holocaust and will very likely lead to many new questions and thoughts from readers of every age.
May 14, 2014
When Elsa finds her grandmother Dounia awake and crying, the elderly woman decides that it is time to tell someone about what happened to her and her family during the Holocaust. They were living in Paris in 1942 when things began to change. Dounia's father tries to put a positive spin on the requirement that all Jews wear yellow stars and tells her that theirs is a family of sheriffs. Since the story is told from a child's eyes, the perspective on the events that occurred during that time is unique. Dounia's father hides her before he and her mother are arrested, and thanks to the kindness of a neighbor couple and the Resistance, she is smuggled out of the city and onto a farm where she and one neighbor live. The end of the war brings many reunions, but no word from her father. Using a graphic novel format and young Dounia's voice to tell this story is quite effective. One of the most striking images is that of Dounia's mother after being liberated from a concentration camp. This is a memorable book, well worth a place on a classroom shelf and a spot in a Holocaust social studies unit.
Read
June 15, 2018Alternative book report: The US President has learned that you've read this book and wants
to know one thing a main character discovered about life that you
think all Americans should know. What would you tell him? Why?
Dounia learns the adults who lie to her only did so to protect her. She also learned that when they lied, there was something bigger behind it. This is important, because adults try to protect children all the time. This form of protection is harmless, in a sense, but is it effective? Dounia knew something was wrong when people treated her differently once she wore the Star of David. Dounia had to hear the police raid her home. Dounia had to leave her home and change her name. She had good adults take good care of her, but all the while, she was just going through the motions, doing what she was told. She did not understand her circumstances or her life for that matter. How did she feel once she found out the truth? I wonder how helpful lying to protect children truly is.
to know one thing a main character discovered about life that you
think all Americans should know. What would you tell him? Why?
Dounia learns the adults who lie to her only did so to protect her. She also learned that when they lied, there was something bigger behind it. This is important, because adults try to protect children all the time. This form of protection is harmless, in a sense, but is it effective? Dounia knew something was wrong when people treated her differently once she wore the Star of David. Dounia had to hear the police raid her home. Dounia had to leave her home and change her name. She had good adults take good care of her, but all the while, she was just going through the motions, doing what she was told. She did not understand her circumstances or her life for that matter. How did she feel once she found out the truth? I wonder how helpful lying to protect children truly is.
August 27, 2013
Excellent graphic interpretation of the Holocaust from a child's perspective. I'll definitely be purchasing this for my library.
*I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley.
*I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley.
April 15, 2015
Wonderful, clear, touching telling of a grandmother finally telling the story of her experiences as a Jewish girl during World War II to her granddaughter.
February 19, 2016
Don't mind me, just crying over this beautiful comic.
January 3, 2017
Oh my heart ached to read this book. A beautiful and gentle introduction for children into a horrific part of history.
May 6, 2019
"Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust" was one of the 2015 Batchelder Award Honor books. Translated from French, this touching graphic novel tells the story of Dounia Cohen, a grandmother who finally shares her experiences during the Holocaust with her granddaughter, Elsa. Dounia recounts her memories of being a Jewish child living in Paris in 1942 and the many kind people who helped to keep her hidden and alive.
Author Loic Dauvillier and illustrator Marc Lizano beautifully capture the perspective of a child during the Holocaust. Lines like, “I proudly displayed my sheriff’s star” (Dauvillier 10) and “I didn’t know what a camp was...and no one would explain it to me” (63) reveal the endearing innocence and confusion of young Dounia. When Dounia’s mom returns home from the camp, the illustration of her weak frame, cropped hair, vacant eyes, and striped pajamas is shocking and painful for Dounia and readers alike (66). We immediately understand the horrific manner in which so many Jewish children were robbed of their childhoods. Additionally, the story within a story structure reveals the indelible impact of the Holocaust on survivors and their families; we simultaneously get to know young Dounia during the war and the woman she becomes so many years later.
Perhaps the strongest message emanating from Dauvillier’s story is the importance of sharing and honoring survivor stories. At the end of the book, readers learn that Dounia never told her own son about her childhood. She, like many survivors, spent decades in silence. When her son learns the truth from his daughter, Elsa, he says, “I know that the reason you never told me was that you wanted to protect me. I don’t blame you...I’m very happy and proud that you told her” (74). These words echo those spoken by Dounia at several points throughout her story. The adults in her life lied to her about the yellows stars and the camps because they “wanted to protect me” (16,63). It seems Dauvillier wants us all to understand that the best way to protect future generations from harm is to teach them about what happened during the Holocaust, ensuring it never happens again.
Teachers can engage in this work by reading "Hidden" with their students, ideally grades 3 through 5. Dounia’s story features many historically accurate details that present opportunities for further research and inquiry, such as the yellow stars on their clothing, the anti-semitism she and her family faced in the community, and her experiences being hidden by Catholic neighbors who changed her name to Simone Pericard. Students will be pulled in by the graphic novel format, but younger readers may need support distinguishing between the voiceover narration by Grandma Dounia (present) and the dialogue spoken by young Dounia and other characters (past).
Overall, "Hidden" is an important read for anyone, anywhere. In addition to providing a unique perspective of the Holocaust, it reminds us that so many stories are left untold and inspires us all to break the silence.
Author Loic Dauvillier and illustrator Marc Lizano beautifully capture the perspective of a child during the Holocaust. Lines like, “I proudly displayed my sheriff’s star” (Dauvillier 10) and “I didn’t know what a camp was...and no one would explain it to me” (63) reveal the endearing innocence and confusion of young Dounia. When Dounia’s mom returns home from the camp, the illustration of her weak frame, cropped hair, vacant eyes, and striped pajamas is shocking and painful for Dounia and readers alike (66). We immediately understand the horrific manner in which so many Jewish children were robbed of their childhoods. Additionally, the story within a story structure reveals the indelible impact of the Holocaust on survivors and their families; we simultaneously get to know young Dounia during the war and the woman she becomes so many years later.
Perhaps the strongest message emanating from Dauvillier’s story is the importance of sharing and honoring survivor stories. At the end of the book, readers learn that Dounia never told her own son about her childhood. She, like many survivors, spent decades in silence. When her son learns the truth from his daughter, Elsa, he says, “I know that the reason you never told me was that you wanted to protect me. I don’t blame you...I’m very happy and proud that you told her” (74). These words echo those spoken by Dounia at several points throughout her story. The adults in her life lied to her about the yellows stars and the camps because they “wanted to protect me” (16,63). It seems Dauvillier wants us all to understand that the best way to protect future generations from harm is to teach them about what happened during the Holocaust, ensuring it never happens again.
Teachers can engage in this work by reading "Hidden" with their students, ideally grades 3 through 5. Dounia’s story features many historically accurate details that present opportunities for further research and inquiry, such as the yellow stars on their clothing, the anti-semitism she and her family faced in the community, and her experiences being hidden by Catholic neighbors who changed her name to Simone Pericard. Students will be pulled in by the graphic novel format, but younger readers may need support distinguishing between the voiceover narration by Grandma Dounia (present) and the dialogue spoken by young Dounia and other characters (past).
Overall, "Hidden" is an important read for anyone, anywhere. In addition to providing a unique perspective of the Holocaust, it reminds us that so many stories are left untold and inspires us all to break the silence.
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