Jella Lepman’s Library of Dreams by Katherine Paterson

Katherine Paterson’s latest is a biography of Jella Lepman, an unexpected postwar hero.

Jella Lepman and Her Library of Dreams: The Woman Who Rescued a Generation of Children and Founded the World’s Largest Children’s Library by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Sally Deng. Chronicle (Handprint Books) , 2025, 104 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 8-12; Adult

Everything about the flight was miserable, on a stripped-down military transport plane built during World War II to ferry troops and armaments to the front. The middle-aged woman sitting next to the American colonel wore a bulky uniform with a major’s insignia on the shoulder. Very odd—the colonel knew his mission, but what was hers? Seeing to make conversation, he asked if she would prefer to be reincarnated as a man or a woman.

“Assuming that’s a hypothetical question,” she said, in the high-pitched, snooty voice of the European elite, “Probably neither. I’d like to be a titmouse or a sunflower.”

That was the kind of answer such an off-the-wall question deserved, but typical of Jella Lipman. She could be quirky, as well as downright difficult Hyper-focused people can be quirky and difficult, but they are the kind who get things done. Jella’s stated mission on the flight to postwar Europe was to evaluate the needs of women and children. She herself was a German Jew who had escaped with her family before the Nazis took over; as a result, though she and her children suffered deprivation and hardship during the war, they lived through it. Now that the war was over, Jella had a chance to pursue a lifelong passion. Though tasked with helping to meet the physical needs of war survivors, she longed to nourish the souls and imaginations of impoverished children by providing books and stories. Recruiting influential people (such as Eleanor Roosevelt) to the cause was the real challenge, but she persevered. From 50,000 locally printed copies of Ferdinand the Bull handed out to Berlin’s children, she eventually established the International Youth Library, now housed in Blutenburg Castle in Zurich, Swizerland.

It’s fitting that Katherine Paterson, the dean of American children’s fiction, should write this biography of a children’s-book champion. The oversize volume is physically attractive with plentiful illustrations reminiscent of classic works like Ferdinand, 100 Dresses, and The Little House. The view of postwar Europe should help WWII buffs appreciate how much reconstruction had to be done and how much progress was made in only a decade. That said, one apparent political reference should be mentioned. Describing Hitler’s rise to power early in the book Paterson writes, “He promised law and order and the abolition of the communists and the Jewish people. In short, Hitler promised to make Germany great again.” A cheap shot?

Bottom Line: A well-written and informative biography of an overlooked postwar figure.

Also at Redeemed Reader

• Reviews: Recent books by Katherine Paterson include The Night of His Birth, Giving Thanks, Birdie’s Bargain, and A Stubborn Sweetness.
• Reflection: Thoughts about two Paterson classics: Bridge to Terabithia and The Great Gilly Hopkins.
• Review: Amber Johnson explores children’s literature that relates to black culture in Soul School (starred review)

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