Nicky & Vera, by Caldecott illustrator Peter Sís, celebrates the quiet heroism of Nicholas Winton, who saved 669 Czech children from the Holocaust.
Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued by Peter Sís. Norton, 2021, 60 pages.
Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8
Recommended for: ages 4-10
“Nicky was born in 1909, into a century full of promise.” World-shaking events would soon begin to erode that promise, but Nicky managed to avoid them during his early years. His comfortable British middle-class upbringing allowed for a fine education, the opportunity to travel Europe, and eventually become a banker. By the mid-1930s, though, he could no longer avoid the storm clouds spreading from Germany to nearby Czechoslovakia and Austria.
At the same time, Vera was growing up in Prague—also of a comfortable middle-class family who happened to be Jewish. Her parents were growing concerned, as were other Jewish parents they knew, though Vera didn’t know the reason. Nicky did. Summoned to Prague in 1938, he took stock of the situation and, with a few friends, began making lists of children who might be in danger. He intended to see that they got safely to England. Vera ended up on that list.
Peter Sís, a multiple-Caldecott winner, uses his distinctive style to tell a story that only came to light about ten years ago. You may have seen Facebook posts about Nicholas Winton, invited to appear on a popular British TV show where—unbeknownst to him—dozens of the 669 children he rescued, now grown, were in the audience. This is his story, in straightforward text and symbolic illustration that will enchant younger children and intrigue older ones.
Overall Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)
- Worldview/moral value: 4
- Artistic/literary value: 5
Also at Redeemed Reader
Review: World War II is a subject of perennial popularity. Voices of the Second World War views it from many (mostly European) first-person perspectives.
Reviews: Two verse memoirs of children who didn’t escape: Moishe Moskowitz’ It Rained Warm Bread (nonfiction) and the lovely *What the Night Sings (nonfiction). Both end in hope.
Resource: See our “Heroes of WWII” book list!
We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below may earn us a commission. Read more here.
Stay Up to Date!
Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.
Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Support our writers and help keep Redeemed Reader ad-free by joining the Redeemed Reader Fellowship.
Stay Up to Date!
Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.
Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.
We'd love to hear from you!
Our comments are now limited to our members (both Silver and Golden Key). Members, you just need to log in with your normal log-in credentials!
Not a member yet? You can join the Silver Key ($2.99/month) for a free 2-week trial. Cancel at any time. Find out more about membership here.
3 Comments
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I’ll have to check this one out. I love Peter Sis’s book The Wall.
Janie, you may spot new comments throughout RR as I have been acquiring some of your reviewed books to introduce to the parents and teachers of the (semi-classical) Christian PK-8 school that my daughters attended. Presently, two are in college and one in high school. I really enjoyed reading this lovely story. But I would classify it as thematically more appropriate for at least a fourth or fifth grader. “The children” are actual people who lost all their family members — that’s pretty heavy. I think I am also influenced by the more sophisticated artwork (that isn’t just a simple narrative illustration.)
A point well taken–it obviously depends on the child but losing a parent is a common (and reasonable) fear of young children. I distinctly remember having nightmares about it when I was a child. Parents, and teachers, should take that into account.