Anne Frank by Josephine Poole and Angela Barrett

Poole, Josephine. (2005) Anne Frank. Illustrations by Angela Barrett. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY. ISBN: 978-1-60060-439-3

Author website: No website found.

Ilustrator website: No website found.

Media: drawn and painted

Genre: Juvenile literature, biography, history

Annotation

Meticulously researched visual narrative picture book that captures the beautifully inspirational moments along with the haunting and horrifying times of Anne Frank’s life.

My thoughts

Anne Frank’s story is told simply but in no means is it simple. The story begins “with an ordinary little girl, someone you might sit next to in class” and proceeds from her birth in Frankfurt (1929) to being discovered by the Nazi’s in the attic, to the posthumous discovery of her diary after World War II. Many facts about the social conditions and social transitions are effectively communicated by visually and through the text.

Focus on the artwork
The illustrations really make this book special. In an interview by Magic Pencil, Angela Barrett discusses the research that went into creating the illustrations. She states that it was important to get all the details correct and she kept in mind that there are people alive who remember those details. She aimed for historically authenticity and incorporated symbolism into both her technique and the elements within the illustrations. “Things matter and the way people persecute you is they take the things away from you.” The transition from wealth to disparity is represented in the book by showing in the beginning that the family did have beautiful things to the end where Anne and Peter sit side by side with basically nothing…. just each other.

Additionally and very importantly, are the emotional elements that are depicted within the representation of the character of Anne Frank. From photographs, Bennett seems to capture her likeness. The last picture of the Anne’s nightmarish apprehension by the Nazi’s is haunting and full of emotional punch. Her eyes look out from the page affixed to the helpless reader but her lips are pressed tightly together. It seems to be a wordless cry out to the reader.

Oddly, for this genre and topic, the book presents a great deal of information in a very manageable way making it a good book to be further deconstructed and discussed. This is an easy-to-understand introduction to the Holocaust.

Quotes

“There was a man called Hitler- a stiff little man with a mustache- he talked a lot and made big promises. Huge crowds gathered round him. They had no jobs, no hope. No wonder they cheered when he promised to make Germany rich and strong again.”

This point can be added into a discussion to understand what was going on with the Germans during this period. Many people can’t understand how they would allow such atrocities to occur. These simple sentences provide a rationale that young audiences can understand and can be added into the discussion in addition to racism and prejudices that brought forth the genocide of the Holocausts. Many times historical events can be broken down to economic foundations.

Curricular connections

History 6^th or 7^th grade- provides Anne’s Frank’s personal perspective in a visual narrative. This book can accompany the literary classic The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 4-7 Grade level 3-5?

Reviews and Awards

Booklist Starred Review

School Library Journal Starred Review

Interview-

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/magicpencil/learning_barrett_interview_4.html