When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (Paperback)

by Judith Kerr (Author, Illustrator) "Anna was walking home from school with Elsbeth, a girl in her class..." (more)
Key Phrases: games compendium, red oilcloth, paper shop, Onkel Julius, Madame Fernand, Great-Aunt Sarah (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Among Hitler's other crimes, he stole Anna's pink rabbit (when he confiscated all of her Jewish family's property) and made her a refugee at the age of ten - moving from Berlin to Switzerland, France and England in search of a new home. While she only vaguely comprehends the events that worry her parents so much (wondering what it means when people say that Hitler will "get" the Jews and that her father has "a price on his head"), Anna writes poems about disasters and suffers from nightmares. Most of the time, however, she is absorbed by the minor difficulties of adjusting to expatriation - the awkward attentions of Swiss boys, struggles with the French language, brother Max's effortless adaptabilty - and the adventure of newfound poverty. The title, though initially disconcerting, really says it all: the repercussions of Nazism seen through a child's personalizing perspective and recalled with autobiographical verity. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"An engrossing novel." School Library Journal, starred review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (November 10, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698115899
• ISBN-13: 978-0698115897
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #595,765 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, June 30, 2006

By	Anna M. Ligtenberg "AnnaLovesBooks" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (A Dell Yearling Book) (An ALA Notable Book) (Paperback)

ISBN 0440490170 - I've always loved books about WWII, because it's a time in history that is so full of stories of endurance and courage. When I picked this one up, I had my doubts about how well this era could be related in a kids' book - and I am so happy to say, it is excellent. The "secrets her parents are keeping" in an earlier review don't exist. They're Jews, they live in Germany and they flee - no secret.

Anna and her family live in Germany as Hitler is coming into power, and her father is one of the lucky ones who knew this was a bad thing before it was too late. On the eve of the elections, her family flees to Zurich and begins a new life as refugees. For Anna and her brother Max, this is an adventure, even if they are sad to leave their home and friends. They believe they will be able to come home in six months, so they are not heartbroken over it. They begin school, make new friends and learn new things - not all of them good - while their parents struggle to make ends meet. Her father, a famous writer, can't get regular work for good money and her mother has to learn to do things for herself and her family that they once hired people do to for them. From Zurich to Paris and eventually to England, Anna's family loses everything they own but learn that all they really need is one another.

There are some hilarious moments, such as when Anna's teacher tells the class that cavemen used safety pins, and some moments of triumph for everyone. Anna's and Max's success with French is a high point, as is their father's selling a screenplay. Without a doubt, the saddest moment isn't when Hitler stole pink rabbit, but when news of Onkel Julius' suicide reaches the family. For parents worried about that, it's written vaguely enough that a lot of kids will have to come to parents to really understand the passage. This is an excellent story, with Hitler and the Nazis not exactly starring in it - Anna's story is much more a day-to-day story than a rehashing of the war.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful book for any child or even Adult!, December 13, 1999

By	Katherine (Maryland/USA) - See all my reviews

This is probably the best book I've ever read. It is about a girl named Anna who is forced to fled her country with her family in hopes of not being found by the Nazi's. And it shows the struggles and difficulties that Anna's family had to go through in battle of finding freedom. It is a very compelling story that takes place in World War II. And It will keep you wondering. I read this book when I was in 6th grade and never found it again. I am going to order it and I hope you all do. It is a very good book that teaches the reader about WWII and is still appropreate for the young reader. It is Highly Recommended!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars toymonkey, April 3, 2005

A Kid's Review

Are you looking for a book that you can't put down, and will want to read again and again? Well, you found it! When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is so adventurous that you'll want to come back for more! I would, and after you read it, give this book five stars! Maybe even ten stars! And School Library Journal and Booklist agree that this autobiographical novel absorbs your true feelings about this time period.
I'm very pleased with this book because it shows her feelings when things happen to her though out the book. An example would be when she found out she was going to be moving country to country. She felt excited about the whole thing and really wanted to go to Paris, France. This book also tells about the personalities of others. Take her grandmother Omama for an example. The book said Omama never moved without her dachshund Pumpel.
This book can change your point of view of her and her family because of what they go thought all though the book. You'll find out where she moves and what she has to learn to fit in. She will have to learn different languages and customs. And there are new friends in every county that she goes to. Judith Kerr, the author, is so talented that you'll think that you are the book experiencing everything that they go though. Come experience it for yourself!