The Crystal Beads, Lalka's Journey

by Pat Black-Gould, Katya Royz (Illustrator)

Overview

A Star of David necklace or a rosary?

Lalka, a young girl, must reject one of these and accept the other without understanding why. Lalka is confused as to why her mother gives her crystal beads (a rosary) in exchange for her most prized possession—her Star of David necklace, a precious gift given to her by her father before he died.

But the year is 1939 and Lalka's mother knows Poland is no longer safe for Jews. So with the help of her neighbor, she teaches her daughter new songs and prayers. When she feels the child is ready, the mother makes the heartbreaking decision to leave the little girl at a convent where the brave nuns take the child under their wing and continue her Catholic education. But when the Nazis question her, will the training be enough? When forced with a difficult decision, will Lalka follow her heart or follow her mother's directions? And will her choice be enough to save her life?

This beautifully illustrated Gold Medal award-winning book is inspired by a true story and told from a child's perspective. The story is one of sacrifice and bravery and highlights the hidden children of the Holocaust. Readers will witness how people can come together, despite differences, when it really matters.

Although a children's book, The Crystal Beads, Lalka's Journey, is designed for ages 7 to adults.

It contains two study guides One is for children, parents, and teachers. The other is for adults who may gather in places of worship, book clubs, and small groups. Discussion topics include themes of compassion, empathy, and diversity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781955119214
Publisher:	Purple Butterfly Press
Publication date:	06/14/2022
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

06/24/2022

K-Gr 3—Lalka, a Jewish child, is being taught by her mother to hide her Jewish faith in preparation of being hidden in a Catholic convent in the era of the Holocaust. The Holocaust is never explicitly mentioned, however the expressive pastel drawings, mostly spreads, depict sorrow in the faces of Lalka and the people who love and care for her. The story is largely told in narrative, with limited descriptions of 60–120 words per page; the pages describing Lalka's meeting of the soldiers are dramatic: dark scribbled background, Lalka's back, soldiers seen in shadows lit by large window. Lalka's survival is in her ability to repeat Catholic prayers. The afterword describes a project of Whitwell Middle School's Children's Holocaust Memorial and a method for readers to connect with the enormity of the Holocaust. The book also includes questions for children and for adults. As historical fiction, the book lacks the emotional tie and grounding into reality that is necessary to place Holocaust stories as fact-based events that happened to children and families. The denouement centers on the concept of sin and assumes that readers have grown up with an understanding of Jewish and Catholic religious practice and cultural traditions. The book lacks an explanation of what a convent is and the significance of the rosary and the Star of David. VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries seeking books about this topic from a child's point of view or who want to participate in a potential school project that conveys some of the destructive magnitude of the Holocaust.—Vi Ha

School Library Journal

2022-08-08
Black-Gould’s debut illustrated children’s book adapts her short story about a Jewish girl, her mother, and a Catholic nun.

In 1939 Poland, a Jewish woman teaches her daughter, Lalka, Catholic protocols in “a special game,” preparing her for her upcoming time in hiding. The mother plans to temporarily leave her daughter at a church one winter day: “She laid the scarf on the kitchen table and sprinkled the few remaining drops of lavender on the wool. Then she wrapped the scarf around my neck. ‘You will always have this memory.’ ” In her new home, the girl attends classes with other children, and the mother visits her daughter regularly for several weeks, but then the visits stop. One day, Sister Teresa tells the girl that “two men wearing long black leather coats and dark hats” are in her office. As she’s questioned relentlessly by the Nazis, she begins praying. The men throw her Star of David necklace (a gift from her father before he died) to the ground and upset her by saying she’s committing a sin if she doesn’t tell the truth about her religion. After they leave, the girl is confused and frightened: “Through my tears, I glanced at the crystal beads in my hand and the gold necklace in hers. ‘Sister,’ I asked. ‘Which one of these is the sin?’ ” Black-Gould, in a powerful adaptation of her short story that first appeared in the journal Jewish Fiction.net, adeptly demonstrates the fear felt by the young girl in the final scene: “Drops of water slinked like snakes down the leather” of her interrogator’s coat. Royz’s illustrations complement the text beautifully, with soft, homey scenes of the mother and daughter, depictions of the mother’s deep concern, and images of the Nazis, which all draw the reader into this emotional work. An afterword details a remarkable real-life story of how children at Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee created a Holocaust memorial, followed by study-guide questions for children and adults.

An affecting wartime reflection for young readers.

Kirkus Reviews