Benno and the Night of Broken Glass
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 3–5—Through the eyes of an orange and white cat, readers are introduced to the harrowing event known as Kristallnacht. Benno spends his days observing the friendly, predictable rituals in his neighborhood: girls walking together to school, shopkeepers selling their wares, a Jewish family eating Sabbath dinner, a Christian family eating Sunday lunch. Then one night, he sees brown-shirted men breaking down doors, smashing shop windows, and setting fire to books and buildings. Jewish families disappear, and even though the people that remain resume their normal activities, nothing is ever quite the same again. The straightforward text describes events without sentimentality, as if Benno were simply reporting what he sees and hears. "In Apartment 3B, the mob was breaking the Adlers' furniture and throwing books out the window…. The Schmidts' apartment was untouched." But what truly distinguishes this book is the striking multimedia artwork composed of paper, fabric, and drawn images in hues of olive, brown, and red. Interesting angles, textures, and patterns add to the visual effect throughout. The spreads depict a normal city neighborhood from a cat's-eye view, which is eventually upended by dark shadowy figures with big black boots. Thus the message of terror and sadness that marks the beginning of the Holocaust is transmitted in a way that is both meaningful and comprehensible. An afterword provides historical context for the story, although it presupposes knowledge of the term "Holocaust." Use this book with Karen Hesse's The Cats in Krasinski Square (Scholastic, 2004) for further discussion of the topic. For all collections.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.
From Booklist
It is not easy to tell young kids the horrifying truth about the Holocaust, but this picture book is a good place to start. Using the fictionalized viewpoint of a cat, Benno, it shows what happened to families in one Berlin community. Benno feels welcome in many homes and stores, and he likes following a Jewish girl, Sophie, and her Christian friend to school everyday. Then everything changes, and the neighborhood is no longer friendly. Benno cowers as terrifying men in brown shirts light bonfires, and then there is a night “like no other,” during which Benno hears screams and shattering glass, and he watches apartments being ravaged and the synagogue burn. The next day, life continues for some, but Benno never sees others again, including Sophie and her family. The unframed, double-page spreads, created with a mix of collage, drawings, and digital montage, show the warm neighborhood transformed as red flames take over, books fly, and soldiers march in black boots with razor-edged soles. A brief afterword and bibliography add more information and historical context. Grades 2-5. --Hazel Rochman
--This text refers to the
Library Binding
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a very poignant tale of Benno the cat who lost his "family" on Kristallnacht ...
February 25, 2010
Format:Paperback
Benno was a mottled orange and white cat who lived at Number 5 Rosenstrasse. He was curled up in the window for everyone to admire, for you see he belonged to everyone in the neighborhood. Hans the Hausmeister made sure he had a warm, cozy bed to cuddle up in at night and some "fresh milk" to soothe his tummy. If he rounded the corner past the street light he would pass Gerber's Grocery to the end of the block where Mitzi Stein's dress shop was, zig zag this way and that he would find himself at Neue Synagogue. Such was the makeup of his neighborhood, but it was his people that he tended to that he was known for.
On the Sabbath it was time to visit the Adler family in 3A. The candles were lit and young Sophie would sing before she "fed him scraps of chicken." On Sundays it was time to visit the Schmidts across the hall where Inge, Sophie's friend, "sneaked bits of schnitzel to him under the table." When the girls were off to school he would wend his way around the neighborhood to get his ears scratched, his nose rubbed or take at nap at Mitzi's. Everyone loved him, including Professor Goldfarb in 2G. Who didn't even seem to notice when he curled up on top of his papers. Such was the life of a mottled orange and white cat named Benno who lived in Berlin.
Something was wrong when those who once had time for him no longer cared or shooed him away abruptly. There were bright orange and red flames that spread eerie shadows along the brick walls of the neighborhood and lit up the night and books were added to fuel the fire. People were somehow not where they were supposed to be and faces were downcast, sad and frightened. There were new faces that were held high and "men in brown shirts strutted about," not caring about a mottled orange and white cat who lived zig zag around the corner from the Neue Synagogue. Something had changed, but what was happening? Where had Sophie and the other people he had to take care of gone to? And what was that sound of glass breaking?
This is a very poignant tale of Benno the cat who lost his "family" on Kristallnacht. Meg Wiviott quietly painted a portrait of his loving family neighborhood, their interrelationships and care they had for one another before those strange men in the brown shirts arrived to upend their lives. This story aptly demonstrated the upheaval and horrifying change that affected everything and everyone from the shopkeeper to a little mottled orange and white cat who loved them all. Parents caretakers or teachers must decide for themselves when to introduce this stunning tale to children, based on their maturity to understand what actually transpired on Kristallnat, a night that marked "the beginning of the Holocaust." In the back of the book is a brief historical overview of that night (includes two photographs), and additional recommended children's book resources. This mesmerizing story with a powerful message is one you may wish to consider adding to your shelves!
On the Sabbath it was time to visit the Adler family in 3A. The candles were lit and young Sophie would sing before she "fed him scraps of chicken." On Sundays it was time to visit the Schmidts across the hall where Inge, Sophie's friend, "sneaked bits of schnitzel to him under the table." When the girls were off to school he would wend his way around the neighborhood to get his ears scratched, his nose rubbed or take at nap at Mitzi's. Everyone loved him, including Professor Goldfarb in 2G. Who didn't even seem to notice when he curled up on top of his papers. Such was the life of a mottled orange and white cat named Benno who lived in Berlin.
Something was wrong when those who once had time for him no longer cared or shooed him away abruptly. There were bright orange and red flames that spread eerie shadows along the brick walls of the neighborhood and lit up the night and books were added to fuel the fire. People were somehow not where they were supposed to be and faces were downcast, sad and frightened. There were new faces that were held high and "men in brown shirts strutted about," not caring about a mottled orange and white cat who lived zig zag around the corner from the Neue Synagogue. Something had changed, but what was happening? Where had Sophie and the other people he had to take care of gone to? And what was that sound of glass breaking?
This is a very poignant tale of Benno the cat who lost his "family" on Kristallnacht. Meg Wiviott quietly painted a portrait of his loving family neighborhood, their interrelationships and care they had for one another before those strange men in the brown shirts arrived to upend their lives. This story aptly demonstrated the upheaval and horrifying change that affected everything and everyone from the shopkeeper to a little mottled orange and white cat who loved them all. Parents caretakers or teachers must decide for themselves when to introduce this stunning tale to children, based on their maturity to understand what actually transpired on Kristallnat, a night that marked "the beginning of the Holocaust." In the back of the book is a brief historical overview of that night (includes two photographs), and additional recommended children's book resources. This mesmerizing story with a powerful message is one you may wish to consider adding to your shelves!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Mila
Format:Paperback
Beautiful illustrations and evocative text. Wiviott doesn't shy away from the sadness and destruction of Kristallnacht, but handles them in a gentle and age-appropriate way: through the eyes of an endearing neighborhood cat.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a good introduction to the Holocaust for younger children. By using the (fictional) story of Benno the Cat, the book comes at the Holocaust from an oblique angle that allows a bit of protective distance for younger kids who may still be too sensitive to learn about the Holocaust more directly.
Benno the Cat lives in an apartment building where he wanders freely among the apartments. The inhabitants of the apartments are a mixed bunch, including both Germans and Jews, who seem to get along quite well together. The German girl Inge and her Jewish friend Sophie walk to school and play games together. All the residents, and all of the business owners on Rosenstrasse, welcome Benno and care for him, from the grocer's wife Frau Gerber who scratches his ears to Mitzi Stein the dressmaker who lets him sleep in her shop window. Life is very pleasant.
But then things take an unpleasant turn. People shoo him out of their apartments and stores. They no longer have scraps for him or the time to scratch him. The have other concerns and worries. Inge and Sophie don't play together any more. Then one night the sounds of screams and breaking glass fill the air. Shops - at least certain ones - are destroyed and looted by men with brown shirts and heavy black boots. The Neue Synagogue is set on fire. Herr Goldfarb is dragged away in the night, trying to protect his books.
In the morning, Benno waits for life to return to normal. But Sophie's family's apartment is locked. Herr Goldfarb doesn't come back. The butcher is never seen again. But Frau Gerber still scratches his ears and Inge still leaves for school every day.
Although this book is geared for younger children, it is still - as one would expect of a Holocaust book - rather stark and potentially upsetting. The illustrations are rather dark and grim. I would advise parents and caregivers to move sensitively with this book.
I never intended to read this book to my own four and a half year old. I frequently check out books to be considered for our home collection down the road. But she discovered the book on her own and insisted on having it read to her, even when I told her it's about something very bad that happened in the past. At first she was intrigued and concerned about what was changing on Rosenstrasse, but when we got to the page about Kristalnacht itself, she shut down and didn't want to hear any more.
I recommend this book starting at around age seven or so with adult guidance. The story should spark some interesting discussions, especially the relationship between Inge and Sophie. The Afterword is also well worth reading. It tells how the Minister of Propaganda (Goebbels) used the assassination of a German official as an excuse to incite and unleash hatred and violence against the Jews. Much of this violence was carried out by the Hitler youth, who were still children themselves. The Afterword also tells us that very few nations spoke out against the violence, thereby giving a green light to Nazi Germany's mass persecution of Jews. It also tells us, however, of a police chief who prevented wholesale destruction of the Neue Synagogue by chasing away the arsonists. It is a good illustration of the difficulty of standing up for what's right in the face of pervasive societal wrongs.
Benno the Cat lives in an apartment building where he wanders freely among the apartments. The inhabitants of the apartments are a mixed bunch, including both Germans and Jews, who seem to get along quite well together. The German girl Inge and her Jewish friend Sophie walk to school and play games together. All the residents, and all of the business owners on Rosenstrasse, welcome Benno and care for him, from the grocer's wife Frau Gerber who scratches his ears to Mitzi Stein the dressmaker who lets him sleep in her shop window. Life is very pleasant.
But then things take an unpleasant turn. People shoo him out of their apartments and stores. They no longer have scraps for him or the time to scratch him. The have other concerns and worries. Inge and Sophie don't play together any more. Then one night the sounds of screams and breaking glass fill the air. Shops - at least certain ones - are destroyed and looted by men with brown shirts and heavy black boots. The Neue Synagogue is set on fire. Herr Goldfarb is dragged away in the night, trying to protect his books.
In the morning, Benno waits for life to return to normal. But Sophie's family's apartment is locked. Herr Goldfarb doesn't come back. The butcher is never seen again. But Frau Gerber still scratches his ears and Inge still leaves for school every day.
Although this book is geared for younger children, it is still - as one would expect of a Holocaust book - rather stark and potentially upsetting. The illustrations are rather dark and grim. I would advise parents and caregivers to move sensitively with this book.
I never intended to read this book to my own four and a half year old. I frequently check out books to be considered for our home collection down the road. But she discovered the book on her own and insisted on having it read to her, even when I told her it's about something very bad that happened in the past. At first she was intrigued and concerned about what was changing on Rosenstrasse, but when we got to the page about Kristalnacht itself, she shut down and didn't want to hear any more.
I recommend this book starting at around age seven or so with adult guidance. The story should spark some interesting discussions, especially the relationship between Inge and Sophie. The Afterword is also well worth reading. It tells how the Minister of Propaganda (Goebbels) used the assassination of a German official as an excuse to incite and unleash hatred and violence against the Jews. Much of this violence was carried out by the Hitler youth, who were still children themselves. The Afterword also tells us that very few nations spoke out against the violence, thereby giving a green light to Nazi Germany's mass persecution of Jews. It also tells us, however, of a police chief who prevented wholesale destruction of the Neue Synagogue by chasing away the arsonists. It is a good illustration of the difficulty of standing up for what's right in the face of pervasive societal wrongs.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great picture book to go with heavy theme and informational text I had...
I used this book to discuss the holocaust and make text to world connection in my 6th grade social studies classroom.
Published 4 months ago by Audrey Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exellent for younger children
A must introduction for the younger child to what happenned during Kristallnacht so that events like it can be prevented in the future.
Published 4 months ago by Skipper
5.0 out of 5 stars
heartfelt and unique story of this horrific event
What a wonderful picture book Meg Wiviott has created! This story is of a terrible event in the world's history, but Wiviott's narrative (as told through the eyes of Benno, the... Read more
Published 19 months ago by K. N. Tipper
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
It would have been hard for me to even imagine this book could be written, but it is brilliant. I just saw it today at a book fair and will definately buy it. Read more
Published on November 18, 2010 by ProudBookWorm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Benno and the Night of Broken Glass
Kristallnacht was the opening act for the Nazi's "Final Solution." On the night of November 9 -10, 1938, Nazis rampaged in a nationwide pogrom against Jews and Jewish institutions... Read more
Published on August 26, 2010 by Jewish Book World Magazine
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