The Whispering Town

by Jennifer Elvgren Narrated by Intuitive

Overview

The dramatic story of neighbors in a small Danish fishing village who, during the Holocaust, shelter a Jewish family waiting to be ferried to safety in Sweden - based on a true story.

It is 1943 in Nazi-occupied Denmark. Anett and her parents are hiding a Jewish woman and her son, Carl, in their cellar until a fishing boat can take them across the sound to neutral Sweden. The soldiers patrolling their street are growing suspicious, so Carl and his mama must make their way to the harbor despite a cloudy sky with no moon to guide them. Worried about their safety, Anett devises a clever and unusual plan for their safe passage to the harbor.

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times Book Review - Elizabeth Wein

The setting is a Danish fishing village, but one of the book's charms is how little context you need to understand it…[The Whispering Town] feels appropriate for reading to very young children as an introduction to the subject of the Holocaust.

From the Publisher

"This slim volume is highly recommended for its fine read, for its introduction to sound historical fiction and for its gentle look at a difficult past that cannot be ignored." — Jewish Book World

Kirkus Reviews

2014-01-29
Residents of a small town in Nazi-occupied Denmark work together to provide a hidden Jewish mother and son safe passage to neutral Sweden. "New friends" are being harbored in Anett's dark basement for two nights. Though afraid, she allows their whispering voices to lead her down the stairs. Anett brings food from her mother's kitchen and books from the library until the boy and his mother can secretly board a fishing boat that will cross over to Sweden. Most of Anett's daily encounters with neighbors and shopkeepers show that the townsfolk support Anett's family in their dangerous effort. When the Nazis begin to search houses each night, the situation becomes even more perilous for Anett's family, and her father determines that they must be taken to the harbor despite the obscuring clouds. Without moonlight, the Jews are beckoned from door to door, guided only by whispering voices—"This way"—that indicate the route to safety. The direct simplicity of the story's telling serves well as an introduction for younger children to the Holocaust. Dark cartoon sketches reminiscent of Tomi Ungerer in opaque black, blues, grays and khaki green markers and word bubbles with the key words of direction paint the ominous atmosphere. This uncomplicated narrative of Danish resistance will facilitate teaching and discussion of a difficult yet necessary subject. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-8)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170077755
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2017
Series:	Holocaust
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

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