The Magician of Auschwitz

Kacer (the Holocaust Remembrance series) presents a true tale about children and the Holocaust. Werner Reich, a boy at Auschwitz, meets famous magician Herbert Levin, who is also interned there. Herr Levin, as Werner calls him, is the famous Nivelli who performed in theaters all over Berlin before WWII. The magician teaches Werner a card trick at one of the lowest points of the boy’s imprisonment: “In this dreadful place where there was nothing to own and nothing to give, the magician had given Werner a gift.” Thick, roughly painted black lines surround many scenes, reinforcing a feeling of captivity. Newland’s (A Chanukah Noel) limited palette of shadowy grays and greens (excepting the red of playing cards and swastika armbands) and the dark, sunken faces of prisoners contrast with Werner’s small smile when he masters the magic trick. Concluding pages feature photographs of Werner and Levin along with short backstories and epilogues; a final author’s note briefly recounts the Holocaust in accessible language. Like Kacer’s previous books, this story is infused with hope and a message about human capacity for good in the face of evil. Ages 7–up. (Sept.)