A Picture Book of Anne Frank

March 1, 1993
This most recent addition to the Picture Book Biography series balances candor with discretion in its presentation of heroine Anne Frank. Adler traces the intersection of Anne's brief life with the forces of Nazism, chronicling the girl's earliest years in Germany as well as her time spent in the now-famous Amsterdam attic and the months following arrest and deportation. He refuses to apply the standard encomiums about his subject's courage and genius, with the result that Anne Frank emerges all the more poignantly. Like Adler, Ritz conveys more than familiar icons: she has executed black-and-white drawings closely based on the well-known extant photographs of Anne and her family and friends, and set these into watercolors of, for example, 1930s Germany or Anne packing her diary. Even her picture of shaven-headed, hollow-eyed Anne and Margot huddled together at Bergen-Belsen avoids cliche and condescension. ``Some people find it difficult to understand the Holocaust,'' Adler concludes with grace. ``But when they read Anne's diary, it all becomes real. Then they know one of the victims. They know Anne Frank.'' Ages 4-8 .

May 1, 1993
Gr 2-4- -The life of Anne Frank serves as a microcosm of the experiences of millions of Jews who met tragedy, torture, and death during the Holocaust. Adler provides an excellent entry-level introduction to this historical figure, her family, and the climate of the times. He focuses on and explains in concise language the underlying reasons for the family going into hiding, their lifestyle in the annex, the people who shared their hideout, their ultimate capture, and demise (with the exception of Mr. Frank). He conveys the liveliness and spirited personality of the young girl through the text and the watercolor paintings. Dissections are provided to show the living quarters and pencil sketches depict scenes of concentration camp life. Emotions are well expressed in this sensitive and age-appropriate portrait. -Cheryl Cufari, N. A. Walbran Elementary School, Oriskany, NY

March 1, 1993
Gr. 2-4. In clear, simple language Adler introduces Anne Frank and her family to primary grade readers. The author explains Hitler's rise to power and describes the severe restrictions the Nazis placed on Jews during this period. He details life in the annex where the Franks hid for more than two years, their discovery and capture by German soldiers, and the cruelties endured by Anne and her sister at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. An appended note explains how Anne's diary was published and recounts several other interesting sidelights to the story. Ritz's illustrations, some based on actual photographs, allow Anne's lively personality to emerge, and yet never appear undignified. One drawing is a labeled cutaway view of the secret apartment where the Franks hid; another, depicting Anne and her sister shortly before their deaths from typhus, is particularly haunting. Although the specifics of Anne's brief life may be disturbing for some young readers, Adler's presentation is both sensitive and appropriate for the age group, making this a worthy purchase. ((Reviewed Mar. 1, 1993))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1993, American Library Association.)

January 1, 1993
The brief account introduces the courageous girl and the horrors of the Holocaust to young readers who are not yet ready to read 'The Diary of Anne Frank'. Black-and-white drawings -- copies of actual photographs of Anne and her family -- are superimposed on the full-page, occasionally awkward illustrations, which are rendered in muted tones that appropriately reflect the mood and the times.

(Copyright 1993 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)