The Cats In Krasinski Square

by Karen Hesse, Wendy Watson (Illustrator)

Newbery medalist Karen Hesse tells a harrowing, true story about life in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII.

When Karen Hesse came upon a short article about cats out-foxing the Gestapo at the train station in Warsaw during WWII, she couldn't get the story out of her mind. The result is this stirring account of a Jewish girl's involvement in the Resistance. At once terrifying and soulful, this fictional account, borne of meticulous research, is a testament to history and to our passionate will to survive, as only Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse can write it.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Childrens, World War II, Cats, War

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Karen Hesse is an American author known for her children's and young adult literature, often set in historical contexts. She received the Newbery Medal for Out of the Dust (1997), a verse novel about a young girl enduring the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. Hesse’s works frequently tackle complex themes, as seen in Witness (2001), which explores the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in a 1920s Vermont town, and The Music of Dolphins (1996), which tells the story of a girl raised by dolphins. Her novel Stowaway (2000) is based on the real-life account of a boy aboard Captain Cook’s Endeavour. Over her career, Hesse has received numerous accolades, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 2002 and the Phoenix Award for Letters from Rifka (1992).

Reviews

[Laura Noto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary-
This is a picture book for 2nd to 5th graders about the true events during World War II in Warsaw. It begins with some cats coming from the rubble in the Warsaw ghetto because they no longer have homes or owners to go to. The main character of the story is a girl who escaped from the Warsaw ghetto. She plays with the cats and she had to “wear her Polish look,” so she wasn’t discovered. Her sister told her about a plan to smuggle food into the Warsaw ghetto. The Gestapo finds out about the plan and tries to surprise the food smugglers as they get off a train. The girl, her sister, some friends, and the cats distract the Gestapo dogs and are able to successfully bring the food to the Jewish people behind the Warsaw ghetto wall.

Response-
I think this was a very powerful story. I read it 3 times. The first time I read it I focused on the obvious. I noticed the cats that were now homeless and the solution of the problem at the train station. The second time I read it I noticed more. I realized that she seemed to have a lot of empathy for the cats (maybe because they were lost and in a different world too) and that she had a lot of guilt that she was out of the Warsaw ghetto and her friend Michael wasn’t. After that I read the historical page at the end. It explained what happened, how serious it was, how many people died, and how some escaped. It also explained that the survivors lived mostly because of the people who had already escaped and the food they smuggled in. Then I read it a third time. I looked deep into the pictures and noticed the barbed wired walls in the backgrounds of many pictures. I also noticed more details from the story. Not only do the cats help distract to Gestapo during the food exchange, but they also show her all of the cracks in the wall to get to the people in the Warsaw ghetto. Even though this book deals with very sad topics (racism, starvation, homelessness, oppression, inequality, and themes from WWII) it seems to have a happy ending.
I think that it could help students realize that no matter how difficult and depressing something is you can still make a difference to someone. If I had an older general education class I would read this to them. I would first focus on the historical facts, then read the book, then talk about how they feel and what they noticed, and then finish on a light note talking about helping others and how crazy dogs go around cats:)

[Stephanie Anze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two sisters have managed to escape the Warsaw ghetto as their appearance allows them to pass for Aryan and live "freely" outside those walls. The younger sister befriends the stray cats in Krasinki Square whose owners have been put in the ghetto. Her older sister is involved in the resistance and other members are bringing food on the train to smuggle into the ghetto. The gestapo suspect and will be waiting at the station with dogs to arrest those involved. A plan is hatched to thwart their plans using their feline friends.

Based on a true story, this is yet another account of bravery in the face of injustice. These two sisters are lucky to be able to live outside the ghetto but many are not. Whenever possible, they smuggle in food. A group of resistance members are coming in with food on the train and the gestapo will be there awaiting them with dogs, to sniff out those involved. As the younger sister has befriended the stray cats, these unlikely allies step in to complete the mission. I just love coming across book like this one. The illustrations take a somber tone in terms of color but projects a hopeful message. This may be a small act but its gigantic in scope. Simple but powerful, this is a great book.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started this blog, I reviewed a book called The Cigarette Sellers of Three Crosses Square by Joseph Ziemian. It was the first of many books about the Warsaw Ghetto that I have reviewed here and these stories about the brave individuals who were part of the resistance never has ceased to awe me.

So when I found The Cats of Krasinski by Karen Hesse on the library shelf, I thought Wonderful! A nice picture book for older readers who may already have some familiarity with the Holocaust to introduce them to the Warsaw Ghetto and Jewish Resistance in WWII.

As we know, lots of Jewish children of all ages often escaped the Ghetto and lived openly right under the Gestapo's nose, passing for Aryan. Whenever they were able, they smuggled food and other necessities back to family and friends still behind the Ghetto wall.

In Hesse's story, two sisters have escaped the Ghetto and are living hand to mouth in Warsaw. The younger sister has befriended the cats that became homeless when their owners were rounded up to live in the Ghetto. Her older sister, Mira, is working with the resistance. They are expecting some food to arrive by train, carried by other resistance workers, to be stuffed into the holes in the Ghetto wall where it can be found by the Jews still living there.

But word comes that the Gestapo knows about the plan and will be waiting at the train station with trained dogs to arrest the resistance workers and confiscate the food. The young girl gets an idea to distract the Gestapo's dogs when the train arrives. And it works, thanks to the cat of Krasinski Square. The cats are gathered up and let loose just as the train arrives.

The Cats of Krasinksi Square is an uplifting age appropriate story that has a lot to say to young readers not only about courage and taking risks, but that sometimes kids can come up with ideas that actually work. Told in sparse, lyrical free verse, the story is enhanced by the corresponding illustrations by Wendy Watson. Watson used washed out muted colors in pencil, ink and watercolor that certainly evoke the place and period in her beautifully rendered illustrations.

I thought that putting a merry-go-round in Krasinski Square at the the beginning and end of the book was an interesting touch. Carousels are such iconic symbols of happy children having fun, yet here it is juxtaposed with and accentuating the deplorable conditions that the Nazis forced upon the Jewish children. It makes a very telling comment.

This story is, as Hesse writes in her Author's Note, based on a real event involving cats outsmarting the Gestapo at the train station in Warsaw that caught her attention when she read about it. There is also a historical note about the Warsaw Ghetto and Jewish Resistance that anyone not very familiar with these might want to read.

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

This book was originallyr reviewed at The Children's War

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

People are trapped inside Warsaw's Ghetto during the war and they do not have enough food. To help the people inside the ghetto, others are bringing food on a train. The Gestapo has learned of this plan and they are coming to the train station with dogs to sniff out the food. But the people inside the ghetto have a plan...

Based on a true story. Set in Poland during WWII.

[Roxanne Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Cats in Krasinski Square" by Karen Hesse, is a bittersweet historical fiction picture book about a brave heroine and her older sister Mira who smuggle food and other goods into the Warsaw ghetto during the time of the cruel Gestapo. The narrator befriends the cats that live in the “cracks of the Wall, the dark corners, the openings in the rubble”. She knows they once had families too and that “They purred, furrowing the chests, nuzzling the chins of their beloveds”. Hesse’s words gently push the reader to not only think about what war does to people but also pets that people once considered family. The narrator, her sister, and other brave citizens end up using the wonderful cats as a distraction when a train full of goods to be smuggled arrives, and the Gestapo are waiting with their snarling dogs….this book is difficult to place for classroom use because topics such as World War II, the Holocaust, and the persecution of Jews are not discussed in an elementary classroom. However, if an elementary teacher were to use this book, (preferably for grades 3-5), he or she could retell a shorter version and then focus on topics such as other famous/brave women in history and researching and discussing if during other times of war or turmoil, animals were used for their cleverness, quickness, and ability to be passed over. Another possible topic for discussion is heroism and what it takes to be a hero/heroine. Students can reflect and discuss if they would be able to rise to the challenge to save others if the situation arose. This topic may be more suitable for 6th grade.

[528_Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cats in Krasinski Square is a historical picture book set in Poland at the beginning of World War II. A young girl along with her sister organize a plan of resistance, smuggling food to those Jews still confined behind the city’s limit. Using the stray cats living in Krasinski Square, they scare away the Gestapo’s dogs that are guarding the entrance into the ghetto. This remarkable story describes the courage of a young girl and her sister as they try to fight against the segregation and relocation of the Warsaw Jews. Hesse uses powerful prose to create a dramatic and serious tone to this picture book. Students studying the Holocaust and World War II would gain insight into the various acts of resistance throughout Eastern Europe. An Authors and Historical Note is included at the end of the text. Children with little knowledge of this time period may need guidance understanding the events and vocabulary used. I almost wish the Authors Note was included before the actual story. Personally, I didn’t care for the illustrations created by Wendy Watson. The muted and brown tones did however evoke the dark and dismal feeling I am sure the author wanted to portray.

[Elizabeth Westlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book follows a young Jewish girl who was able to escape Ghetto walls. She is pretending to be Polish each day, but fears she will be discovered. She has a great deal of compassion for the cats whose owners have left them behind and roam Krasinski Square. Her sister and some friends form a plan to smuggle food into the Ghetto, but the Gestapo finds out and plans to put a violent end to this. Instead, a new plan is formed using the cats to help them in a unique way.

This book was well told and showed another side to those hurt by the Holocaust. People had to pretend to be someone they weren't, animals were impacted and those that escaped felt the guilt of those left behind. The illustrations add to the emotions of this story. It could be incorporated easily into a unit on this time period and would work well for elementary school students.

[This Kooky Wildflower Loves a Little Tea and Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading children stories marrying history, society, and fiction. Our children should know the best and worst of humanity to mold fine adults. In this tale, set outside the walls of WWII- era ghettos of Warsaw, we meet a Polish girl willing to show her best to help those hurt by humanity's worst.

She feeds stray cats scraps until they bond into a special relationship. However, this bond creates an opening to change history as she, the cats, and a special rebel network smuggle food to the hungry inside the ghetto's wall.

Brilliant. Beautiful. Special. This story deserves reading for our children to not continue the humanity's horrors.

[Clara Jane Isch · Rating 4 out of 5]

We picked this one up from our local book store, IffyBooks. I originally thought this was going to be similar to one of my favorites, Millions of Cats, but it turns out it was actually about the Holocaust. Never too early to learn about history though, am I right?

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more heartbreaking for its childlike simplicity, this picture book gives a child's view of food smuggled successfully into the Warsaw Ghetto thanks to the assistance of cats who, as the text notes, had once lived with people who loved them and now made their living on mice in the streets.

[Michaela O'Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose The Cats in Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse as my historical fiction book because it shares a story of hope, courage, and bravery that took place during the Holocaust. I think teaching historical topics like the Holocaust can be difficult in schools sometimes but small stories like this make it easier for students to better understand. I also was suprised but glad to see that this story had a postive, happy ending because most often things during the Holocaust didn’t work out this way so it is refreshing to read a piece of literature from World War II that ends on a positive note. This book would be beneficial to read aloud to 5th-6th graders when teaching about the Holocaust or World War II because it takes a really complex topic and makes it more comprehensible/relatable to children.

I think an interesting activity for students to do after reading this book would be to do research to find another hero during the Holocaust or story that ends in success like this book did. Students could then write about the hero or event they found and share with the class.

If this book was used as an introduction during a unit on the Holocaust/World War II, students could fill out a KWL chart to see what they know, want to know, and later learned from the unit.

This book can be useful in bringing up discussions on kindness and helping others. Maybe students can write about or share out loud a time in their lives that they have helped others, even if it wasn’t easy or convenient to them. If they can’t think of a time in their lives they have done this, they can come up with examples of something they could do.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hesse heard a story, researched it (she always researches deeply the subjects of her books), and tells it lovingly here, and its beautifully illustrated in pastels that almost belie the murderous subtext of the sweet story at its core: a girl and her sisters make a commitment to get food into the Warsaw Ghetto, and devise a scheme to do this... The danger is very real, and death is possible. The tale is hopeful and underscores Jewish resistance against terrible odds. Beautiful book!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cats in Krasinski Square tells the story of a young Jewish girl, living in Poland during World War II. The girl’s family has escaped from the ghetto and is now trying to sneak food to those still in the ghetto. The story shows how scary it was to be Jewish/assisting in helping the Jewish people. The reader also sees the importance of working together and having people to rely on during this time.
This book belongs in the historical fiction genre because it is based on a true story of the Gestapo being outsmarted by cats during World War II. It is considered fiction because the characters and events of the story were made up of the author.
The Cats in Krasinski Square can teach children how intense World War II was while keeping it on the lighter side with the use of cats. World War II is a very well-known topic, but this book teaches about an event that most people have never heard of. This allows the book to appeal to both children and adults while adding variety to a set of books on this topic.
I found The Cats in Krasinski Square to be a WOW book for me because I was really drawn into the story. As a Jewish person, books on the topic of World War II have always been of interest to me, but this book was very different from all the World War II books I have read. I appreciated how simple the illustrations were because they help to tell the story without distracting from the words. I also love cats so I found their part in the book very cute.
Hesse uses very descriptive writing throughout the book. She uses adjectives that paint the picture of the setting and characters. She goes into specific details that help the reader imagine how the story feels, smells, tastes, and sounds. Hesse also uses the repetition of the word Polish to describe how the main character acts. This reminds the reader that the main character has to consistently stay in her Polish character in order to safely live outside of the ghetto.
The Cats in Krasinski Square does contain bias as the author uses positive adjectives throughout the book but uses harsh, negative adjectives against the Gestapo. The bias in this book is not harmful to kids as it does not include stereotypes or generalizations.

[John Quigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, two Jewish girls are trying to survive by disguising themselves as Polish girls. The girls try to smuggle food through the Ghetto wall. However, the enemy learns of the plan and waits for them with dogs to sniff out the food. The rebels gather the cats into baskets and bring them to the station and they let them loose. This causes the dogs to go crazy and chase the cats, allowing the food to sneak by the enemy. The main themes are survival, perseverance, and overcoming obstacles. The resistance has to try to get food to their allies but have to get through a station of dogs. They think quickly and come up with a solution to use the cats to scatter the dogs and use chaos to sneak through. The main genre of this book is historical fiction, the events are based on things that did happen. Children reading this book could learn to persevere and overcome obstacles as well as learn about history and the war that happened to cause the story. This is a wow book for me because it is a great story about overcoming challenges that is set in a place and time that not a lot of children’s stories are set in.
Some of the writing crafts used in the book are repetition and listing. These crafts are used to enhance the story by telling us all the ways the girls had to act to blend in and all the ways the food got through the wall. The author portrayed anti-bias perspectives in this book by not explicitly stating the name/country of the bad people. This is done so as to not create bias in children’s minds about people of that ethnicity.

[mason s. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is a well written short story.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story based on Jewish resistance in the Warsaw ghetto during WWII. The book is beautifully illustrated with watercolors and the narrative is poetic in style and cadence.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute book

[N_maryellen Rosenblum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and would suggest its usage from 1st grade up through 5th grade. The story is told from a young girl's point of view who we find out has escaped from the Warsaw Ghetto with her sister Mira. They are the only two members of her family that are still alive. The young girl and her sister live amongst the other poles in Warsaw but no longer wear their yellow stars.

Mira and the her younger sister decide they are going to continue to help the resident inside the ghetto. A group of friends, Mira and her sister decide to smuggle a large amount of food into the ghetto. Throughout the story our young narrator has described her journey around the city and her growing relationships with the stray cats left behind by former Warsaw residents who are now fighting for survival in the ghetto. She cannot spare any food for the strays, however she realizes that what they truly crave is love and kindness.

Throughout the story certain phrases are repeated: 'I wear my Polish look, I walk my Polish walk. Polish words float from my lips and I am almost safe, almost invisible....'. This is the author's way of describing the constant vigilance the young girl must maintain in order to escape detection by the Germans. But then we learn of the plan to smuggle food into the ghetto and to her friend, Michal, who now lives on the other side of the wall separating the ghetto from the rest of the city, we realize that the young girl and her sister and not just hiding but actively trying to help others who could not escape the Germans.

Mira, her sister and other friends decide to smuggle food from the country into Warsaw via train, and then place the food bundles in the cracks in the wall for the starving ghetto residents to claim. The young narrator knows where most of the cracks are due to the fact that she watches the cats travel through the wall on a regular basis. The girls learn that the Gestapo have learned of the plan and are going to intercept the food smugglers at the train station using dogs to sniff out the food.

Our young narrator realizes what she must do to save her fellow resistance members and their food parcels. Her and several friends gather the stray cats in baskets and then release them at the train station, distracting the dogs and causing chaos. The food smugglers escape unharmed and the food is delivered to the ghetto residents.

The afterward provided by the author indicates that the story is fictional although many stories of resistance during the German occupation of Poland have been recorded. This portion of the book provides the reader with true historic information regarding this period of time. This book would be usable in a classroom to prompt multiple projects, discussions, and/or compare and contrast this book with non-fiction literature from this period of time.

[Rikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Resistance

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Desperate times call for desperate measures” could be the subtitle of this book, which takes place in WWII-era Warsaw, Poland. The cats in question are former pets, left homeless when their owners were shipped out or killed by the Nazis.

A young girl, whose family has been torn apart by the war, befriends the cats. She has only love to offer them, for there is no food to spare. Her relatives wait behind the ghetto wall, starving and desperate. However, how can those on the outside smuggle food to the prisoners, when the train station is heavily guarded by the Gestapo?

The young girl and her friends gather the cats into travel trunks and baskets. When they approach the train station, the Gestapo and their snarling dogs lunge at them to search them for any food they might be carrying. I’m sure you can guess what happens next:

We open our baskets and let the cats loose. The station explodes into chaos as frenzied dogs turn their wild hunger on the cats, who flee in every direction, slipping through cracks, into dark corners, between openings.

The melee allows the group to avoid detection and get the food to the prisoners in the ghetto.

While animals play a part in this story, it is not in the typical manner of most picture books. While a group of people used the animals to help their family members and friends in a hideously dark period of history, this is not something the animals would have voluntarily taken upon themselves. Released into an unfamiliar area inches from the teeth of trained attack dogs, it’s no doubt quite a few cats died that day, as well as soon afterwards.

The illustrations depict the cats regrouping and trailing, herdlike, behind the people as they pass food over the walls of the ghetto, but of course this is an artist’s reimagining (perhaps to calm young listeners) rather than reality.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

According to the author’s note, Hesse came across an article in a newspaper that described briefly what the heroine of this book did and so she made a fuller story of it.

This is a good way to gently introduce themes of World War II, particularly Anti-Semitism and the Warsaw Ghetto, to your children. The main take away children will have is that certain people didn’t like the Jews, locked them up in buildings and that the Jews were going hungry.

Add this one to your history reading list!

Ages: 6 - 11

Cleanliness: nothing to note.

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[Kristen Herzog · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cats in Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse and illustrated by Wendy Watson is an interesting story about how Jews who could pass as Polish people were able to outsmart the Nazi's. They formed a group of Jewish Resistance who escaped the Ghetto and fought to bring about what victory they could against the Germans. They brought food and weapons and much needed medicine to the Ghetto they helped Jews sneak out of the Ghetto when they could and continued to find whatever ways they could to outsmart the Germans. One time a group was able to outsmart the Gestapo at a train station in Warsaw by bringing a bunch of cats with them to the train station. When the train pulled in and the passengers disembarked the cats were released which caused enough chaos with the Gestapo dogs that the passengers were able to deliver whatever food and medicine they brought with them to the Ghetto. Interesting story and beautifully drawn illustrations bring another side to WWII. Would be an excellent story to read with students about how Jewish people tried to fight back against the Germans.

[Wyatt Hillard · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Cats in Krasinski Square" is based on true events, and depicts the chilling story of a young girl in Warsaw, amidst WWII danger. There were a lot of emotions enticed by the context of the story, and its easy to read the book very quickly, while engaged. The story kept you guessing as you did not know what exactly would happen next, and I really liked the role the cats eventually played in the plot. There is repetition in play, as well as a lot of pathos by the narrator. The illustrations demonstrate very clearly the movement occurring during the setting of the page, and the events occurring. The emphasis of the protagonist and her cats is also highlighted in the illustrations.

[Dolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a serious subject, but I thought that Karen Hesse presented it in such a way as to be appropriate for children, with older children being able to discuss the seriousness of the subject.

Sober, muted drawings, almost in a sepia tone, that convey a warmth and age. I thought this was a very powerful and moving story that helps to educate a younger generation about the tragic events during WWII.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Karen Hesse takes her moving sense of historical writing and transfers it to the picture book set in this warmly engaging true story.

Transported back to the late 1930s Germany by the imaginative drawings and gentle text, the reader goes along on a dangerous journey as one girl who has escaped the Nazis dares to risk her life helping friends who have not been as fortunate. This book is designed for slightly older readers than most picture books, but is memorable for all ages.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully told story is based on an incident about cats outfoxing Nazi Gestapo in a Warsaw train station during WWII. It is the story of hope, courage, and working together, as the members of the Jewish Resistance had to do in order to survive. I love the young narrator’s quiet courage and strength. This is a wonderful picture book to share with slightly older children from about age 7 on up.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was truly wonderful. Stories of WWII German occupation usually are a bit too much for me to handle, but this was one of the better stories. The clever plan created to help the people of the Warsaw Ghetto get a shipment of food and supplies was really well told. If someone is learning the story of WWII, this is a good book to include in their reading.

[Yamile Méndez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book. It’s gorgeous. It gave me a great opportunity to talk with my kindergartener about the Holocaust, on his level, of course.

[Sara Vidal · Rating 5 out of 5]

found this by accident years ago - beautiful and inspiring

[Koa · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book. Part of the First Annual Kahuku Battle of the books, where I will be a judge.