The New York Times Book Review - Elizabeth Wein
The setting is a Danish fishing village, but one of the book's charms is how little context you need to understand it…[The Whispering Town] feels appropriate for reading to very young children as an introduction to the subject of the Holocaust.
From the Publisher
"This slim volume is highly recommended for its fine read, for its introduction to sound historical fiction and for its gentle look at a difficult past that cannot be ignored." — Jewish Book World
MAY 2015 - AudioFile
This short work, based on a true story, is superbly recounted by narrator Elizabeth Cottle. In 1943, in Nazi-occupied Denmark, Anett and her family shelter a Jewish mother and her son, Carl. Cottle deftly captures Anett's determination as she obtains food and library books for the refugees. She also conveys Carl’s fear and hope as well as the threatening aggression of the Nazis. Sound effects of plates and cutlery, squeaky doors, and animals convey a sense of place. A neighborhood effort to spirit away the pair to Sweden provides a hopeful conclusion while still giving young listeners a picture of the horror of war. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2014-01-29
Residents of a small town in Nazi-occupied Denmark work together to provide a hidden Jewish mother and son safe passage to neutral Sweden. "New friends" are being harbored in Anett's dark basement for two nights. Though afraid, she allows their whispering voices to lead her down the stairs. Anett brings food from her mother's kitchen and books from the library until the boy and his mother can secretly board a fishing boat that will cross over to Sweden. Most of Anett's daily encounters with neighbors and shopkeepers show that the townsfolk support Anett's family in their dangerous effort. When the Nazis begin to search houses each night, the situation becomes even more perilous for Anett's family, and her father determines that they must be taken to the harbor despite the obscuring clouds. Without moonlight, the Jews are beckoned from door to door, guided only by whispering voices—"This way"—that indicate the route to safety. The direct simplicity of the story's telling serves well as an introduction for younger children to the Holocaust. Dark cartoon sketches reminiscent of Tomi Ungerer in opaque black, blues, grays and khaki green markers and word bubbles with the key words of direction paint the ominous atmosphere. This uncomplicated narrative of Danish resistance will facilitate teaching and discussion of a difficult yet necessary subject. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-8)
