Three Pieces of Broken Glass

Gr 1-3–Watercolor and gouache illustrations show a golden and pink pastel-colored world that moves back and forth through darker times and happier stories. Great-grandmother Inge sits with her grandchild after a special glass has broken. She tells of three pieces of broken glass on the window sill, one from her wedding, long ago, and the luck it was to bring; she mentions Kristallnacht, the night of such historic importance to Jews and a marker of the early days of World War II. The third piece of glass was from an accident occurring while Inge was in a work camp. to her mother, signified that something positive was about to happen. The storytelling switches in voice and perspective, with the events of the wedding told in narrated flashbacks, the Night of the Broken Glass relayed in conversation, as are the details of the work camp. An author’s note explains the fictionalization of true family stories, and the choice of broken glass as the extended metaphor. The illustrations keep pace with the transitions between past and present. It’s a heartfelt, perfectly serviceable way of teaching children about culture and important historical moments, but the story feels forced and convenient.