Chance

The first-person narrative, which continues through his teen years in Paris, is inviting and filled with absorbing details of everyday life, from playing games to facing bullies and fearsome dogs. The many illustrations--scary, imaginative, and humorous--are a brilliant accompaniment to the text, bringing into sharp focus stark images of civilians caught up in war. Despite the horrors, however, there is a strong sense of intimacy between the author and his readers. . .A memorable journey of survival and artistry. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

The spare, keenly observed narrative offers a harrowing look at a Jewish family's plight during WWII while documenting the birth of an artist with a great capacity for creativity. . .Stark and powerful black-and-white drawings by the author underscore gritty realities: people forced to carry water after Nazi planes bomb Warsaw, tension and fear in a truck bound for Bialystok, confrontations with Soviet officials, and a crowded bed the family inhabits in a settlement work camp. This affecting memoir of Shulevitz's childhood as a war refugee provides a deeply personal testament to the power of art. --Publishers Weekly, starred review

Distinguished Caldecott Medal-winning author-illustrator Shulevitz creates an arresting and affecting memoir of terrible privation. . .The book's spare, straightforward text is liberally illustrated with Shulevitz's black-and-white Expressionist-style drawings plus the occasional photograph that has survived the war. Together, the images brilliantly capture the often-somber story of Shulevitz's early life, which he ultimately survived, as he says, by chance. --Booklist, starred review