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A review by nglofile
Brundibar by Tony Kushner, Maurice Sendak
5.0
Based on a Czech opera, Brundibar is a delightful story of two small children who try to raise money to buy their ailing mother some milk. Their attempts to sing for coins are thwarted by a tyrannical street musician named Brundibar, but little Aninku and Pepicek accept the help of both animal friends and hundreds of local schoolchildren to show that good can indeed triumph over evil.
It is deeply affecting to realize that this story was performed by the children of Terezin, a Nazi concentration camp, and that the man responsible for setting it to music was also imprisoned there (and later died in Auschwitz). Even though not direct reference is made in the text, the illustrations feature many characters wearing a bright Star of David on their clothes. Details such as this effectively underscore the message of hope in the story, and that alone would make it a worthy choice.
However, there is much more to recommend the tale. The pages are full of illustrations and color without being too busy. Speech bubbles introduce the characters are exposition even before the title page, and these bits of dialogue also alternate of Aninku and Pepicek are drawn with a light touch, almost as if with a textured combination of watercolor and colored pencil. Brundibar, on the other hand, is darker and more solid, even sinister, in how he is painted. The faintness of the children sets them apart from the other elements and even emphasizes how small and helpless they might feel. As a result, it is even more deeply gratifying to see them discover their own strength and resources in resisting Brundibar, an inspiring example to readers of any age or situation.
It is deeply affecting to realize that this story was performed by the children of Terezin, a Nazi concentration camp, and that the man responsible for setting it to music was also imprisoned there (and later died in Auschwitz). Even though not direct reference is made in the text, the illustrations feature many characters wearing a bright Star of David on their clothes. Details such as this effectively underscore the message of hope in the story, and that alone would make it a worthy choice.
However, there is much more to recommend the tale. The pages are full of illustrations and color without being too busy. Speech bubbles introduce the characters are exposition even before the title page, and these bits of dialogue also alternate of Aninku and Pepicek are drawn with a light touch, almost as if with a textured combination of watercolor and colored pencil. Brundibar, on the other hand, is darker and more solid, even sinister, in how he is painted. The faintness of the children sets them apart from the other elements and even emphasizes how small and helpless they might feel. As a result, it is even more deeply gratifying to see them discover their own strength and resources in resisting Brundibar, an inspiring example to readers of any age or situation.