When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit: A classic and unforgettable children’s book from the author of The Tiger Who Came To Tea

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I reread this childhood favourite as a buddy read with Lisa Vegan. This was a wonderful book to read as a buddy read, so much happening in short chapters made it really enjoyable to discuss each day after reading. Drabble, Emily (18 February 2015). "Judith Kerr: I wasn't scared enough. That's how I nearly gave us away | Children's books". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 March 2017 . Retrieved 24 June 2018.

There were some people who were bigots, and there were also a few heavy things for a middle grade book, including two things toward the end. One was unexpected for me and left me feeling very sad. I was expecting a bad outcome in this case but didn’t think it would come in this book (maybe in book two, if ever?) or happen in this exact way. I was grateful for all the humor in the book, especially that included toward the end and at other times the book dealt with serious subjects, because otherwise it would have been depressing, even though it’s not at all a depressing book. Suppose your country began to change. Suppose that without your noticing, it became dangerous for some people to live in Germany any longer. Suppose you found, to your complete surprise, that your own father was one of those people. On arrival in England at night, their train stops, for the umpteenth time, at a small ill-lit station. Even though I knew they got away I felt so nervous from the suspense. There was quite a bit of suspense at several points in this story. I was so anxious when they went to France (until I read the author bio blurb and saw the year they left for England) and so eager for them to get out of France and to England before the Nazi occupation. Even though I knew Anna and her family would get away and be safe I felt scared for them several times during their story.Judith Kerr wrote When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit fifty years ago, based on her own journey, so that her own children would know where she came from and the lengths to which her parents went to keep her and her brother safe. It has gone on to become a beloved classic that is required reading for many children all over the world and is an unforgettable introduction to the real-life impact of the Second World War. This is a very readable book, ideal as a read aloud or reading to yourself. Interesting for any age to read and a very interesting book for children as we experience the start of war through 10yr old Anna's eyes. There are two parts of the book, each only a paragraph long that aren't suitable for young children as they are disturbing, these were easy enough to leave out as a read aloud which I did when I read to my daughter when she was 2yrs old and once when she was 5.

I love the family. They’re flawed characters but good people and I loved them all. I appreciated that in Germany, and in Switzerland and France, and England, that they had people “100% on their side” – decent good people supporting them and not supporting Hitler’s policies. This book is probably suitable for kids above 8. The language is not particularly complicated and there aren't any gruesome descriptions! Anna lives with the fear of bombs while Max is away studying at Cambridge University. The final scenes take place on VE Day. Anna suddenly finds things moving too fast for her to understand. One day, her father goes unaccountably missing. Then she herself and her brother Max are being rushed by their mother, in alarming secrecy, away from everything they know - home and schoolmates and well-loved toys - right out of Germany!quite simply one of the most heartfelt, life-affirming books you could ever read.” – The Independent Children’s Book Blog Anna reflects on how she and her brother adjust to the different environments they encounter, how they struggle with different school systems and languages. My favourite part is when she almost gives up learning to speak French and then suddenly realises she can do it. When the family moves on to England, she has new confidence in her ability to adapt, and she starts out with the knowledge that she might not be able to understand a word right now, but if she gives it a couple of months, she will talk without any difficulty. Judith was awarded an OBE for services to children’s literature and holocaust education in 2012, the Booktrust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, and named Illustrator of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2019. Judith died in 2019, and her stories continue to delight generations of children. This semi-autobiographic classic records author's experiences as a young girl of 9, who had to leave Germany with her family when the Nazis put her father, Alfred Kerr, an influential German critic of Jewish descent, in their top list of opponents. Their first home, as refugees, was Switzerland, then they settle in France, and finally in England, like that of Anna in the story.