Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport

Gr 3-5–While there’s no shortage of Holocaust stories, Stelson has written a moving and uplifting account of a humanitarian effort that ultimately saved 669 Jewish Czech children. The Kindertransport took children from their hometown of Prague to England, where they lived with foster families while war broke out at home and most of their families were killed. The remarkable tale is told through a first-person plural that replicates the children’s innocent voices and experiences; Alko’s rich acrylic and collage illustrations help bring the heartbreaking historical event to life and render it accessible to a young audience. The story ends 50 years later, when the mystery of who helped the children, now grown, is revealed; Nicholas Winton, a British Jew and former banker, arranged all of it. “By saving us as children, Nicholas Winton saved our children, our grandchildren, and all their children to come.” The weight of his inspiring work is inestimable. Back matter includes further information about the Kindertransport and Yad Vashem’s Children’s Memorial, a time line, source notes, author’s note, illustrator’s note, bibliography, and further reading.