I Didn't Stand Up

by Lucy Falcone, Jacqueline Hudon (Illustrator)

Overview

First they went after Jalal. But I'm not black. So I didn't stand up for him.

Then they went after Mariana. I was born in this country — So I didn't stand up for her.

A picture book inspired by the iconic poem "First They Came for the Socialists" written by Pastor Martin Niemöller in opposition to the oppression from the Nazi regime, I Didn't Stand Up looks at common circumstances of oppression that children encounter through the eyes of the bystander — until he or she becomes a victim.

Backmatter includes a history of the original poem and Pastor Martin Niemöller.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781988347066
Publisher:	Clockwise Press
Publication date:	02/01/2019
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Lucy Falcone is the author of several novels for young readers including The Mysterious Mummer and The Devil, the Banshee and Me. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Jacqueline Hudon is the illustrator of Charlie's Dirt Day and Bye Bye Butterflies. She lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Editorial Reviews

05/10/2019

Gr 1–3-Written by a teacher inspired by Martin Niemoller's poem "First They Came" about World War II, this title stresses the importance of not being complacent, but standing up when witnessing bullying in today's world. The narrative starts, "First they went after Jamal. But I'm not black — so I didn't stand up for him." The bullied also include a geek, a girl wearing hand-me-downs, a girl not born in the United States, a gay boy, a Muslim girl, and a disabled boy. It also says, "Then they went after Alexis —she used to be Alex. But everyone knows my gender—so I didn't stand up for her." Simple text complements the illustrations, which are large and would work well in a group setting. The title ends on a feel-good note, where all the children stand together. The author's note states, "Being a teacher, I see so many forms of bullying—and every one of them breaks my heart. After reading 'First They Came,' all I could think about was writing something for children who are mistreated and bullied every day everywhere. That something became this picture book." At the back of the book, there is a picture of Niemoller and explanation that in the beginning of Hitler's rise to power he supported the Nazis, but later lead a group to stand against him. VERDICT Recommended for school and public libraries.-Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA

School Library Journal

2019-02-13

An update of the (originally) anti-Nazi poem of protest, reframed as an anti-bullying message.

An optimistic finish robs this litany—modeled on the anonymous and often misquoted lines beginning "First they came for the communists…"—of its profound cautionary power, but the point remains, and the tally of afflicted groups is particularly cogent for younger audiences. Following "First they went after Jamal. / But I'm not black— / so I didn't stand up for him," the unnamed narrator shies away from the sight of peers either looking sad or being harassed or menaced by a racially diverse quartet of sneering fellow students. Victims include a "geek," a gay boy, a fat kid, a girl wearing hand-me-downs, an immigrant, a Muslim child, a child using forearm crutches, and Alexis ("she used to be Alex"). In her diaphanous, yellow-tinged illustrations, Hudon sets each scene in school or on a playground and draws stiffly posed figures with oversized heads and eyes to emphasize through facial expressions the emotional impact of bullying. When at last "they" come for the unseen speaker, all of the previous victims line up shoulder to shoulder: "We all stood together." Falcone follows this rather self-serving turn with a closing note quoting the original (with "communists" replaced by the less-controversial "socialists") and directing a nod to Martin Niemöller, the minister and peace worker who made it famous.

It doesn't stick the landing, but it's nevertheless a sobering insight with plenty of history on its side. (Picture book. 7-12)

Kirkus Reviews