Stars of the Night
Stars of the Night:
The Courageous Children
of the Czech Kindertransport
written by Caren Stelson
illustrated by Selina Alko
Carolrhoda Books, 7 Feb 2023
ISBN 978–1541598683, ages 7–11
A portion of the proceeds
from this book are being donated to
We encourage you to consider a donation as well.
“When we were seven or eight or nine or ten, our home was the old city of Prague.”
So begins this powerful story of the children who were rescued from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II, as Hitler’s campaign of hatred toward Jews and political dissidents took hold. Told from the collective perspective of the children, the narrative starts in 1938 and follows them as they journey to foster families in England for the duration of the war, return to Prague afterward in an unsuccessful search for their parents, and eventually connect with Nicholas Winton, a British former stockbroker who was instrumental in bringing them to safety.
Award-winning author Caren Stelson teams up with acclaimed illustrator Selina Alko to sensitively tell this tale of survival and defiance in the face of tyranny. Learn the inspiring history of the Czech Kindertransport, which rescued 669 children from Nazi persecution.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
ALA Notable Children’s Book
Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year, Outstanding Merit
ILA Honor Award for Social Justice
National Jewish Book Award Finalist
New York Public Library Best Books for Kids
Notable Books for a Global Society List Selection
Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
School Library Journal Best Book
Texas Bluebonnet Masterlist
RESOURCES
- Teachers Resource Guide
- Extended Bibliography
- “Caren Stelson and Selina Alko Talk with Roger” Sutton of The Horn Book
- Caren talks about Stars of the Night for TeachingBooks.net
- “Stars of the Night: an Interview with Author Caren Stelson,” Lerner blog
- “Roger Sutton, Caren Stelson, and Selina Alko at Temple Sinai,” Elissa Gershowitz, The Horn Book, 4 April 2024
REVIEWS
“This book tells my father’s story through the eyes of the children he helped to save from the Holocaust. My father, an ordinary man, put together a small team and together they saved 669 children. His story is a reminder of the huge difference any one of us can make in the lives of others. Our world depends on it. This tragic episode in our history is being repeated now in many parts of the world. Governments alone seem unable to solve these problems―it is down to people like him, people like us, to make the change we want to see.” (Nick Winton, son of Sir Nicholas Winton)
“An unlikely hero saved the lives of hundreds of children during the Holocaust. Stelson describes how Jewish Czech children were saved via the Kindertransport during World War II. Beginning in 1938, they were taken via train from their hometown, Prague, to England, where they lived with foster families for several years while war raged in continental Europe. After the war, they returned home to learn most of their parents had perished. Many years later, they also discovered, for the first time, the identity of the self-effacing man who had literally set the wheels in motion by organizing the transports and securing necessary documents, allowing them—a total of 669 children—to leave their war-ravaged country and Nazi brutality behind so that they might live. His name? Nicholas “Nicky” Winton, an Englishman working in Prague in the late ’30s and one of many whose contributions made the Kindertransport possible. Decades later, he was honored by the Czech president and knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to humanity. This searing account is all the more heart-rending because it is collectively narrated by the young people saved by Winton, delivered in the innocent, matter-of-fact voice of a child. The illustrations, rendered in acrylic, colored pencil, and collage, are powerfully poignant and have childlike appeal, capturing readers’ sympathetic attention. A backmatter feature, “Winton’s Children,” notes that five depicted children represent actual young people saved by Winton, who is himself portrayed. A not-to-be-missed, inspirational book about courage, heart, and the necessity of caring for others. (timeline, more information about the Kindertransport, information on the Yad Vashem’s Children’s Memorial, photos, author’s note, illustrator’s note, source notes, bibliography, further reading)” (This book was reviewed digitally.) (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
“In this quiet but immediate nonfiction picture book, Stelson (A Bowl Full of Peace) tells the story of the 669 children evacuated via the Kindertransport, with the help of Nicholas Winton, from Czechoslovakia in the late 1930s to escape the Nazis. The first-person-plural narration mainly sticks to the collective point of view of the children, letting readers experience their bewilderment first at the early signs of war and persecution and then at the unexplained “holiday to England” without their parents; occasional “none of us knew” asides hint at the help Winton was providing behind the scenes. As time passes and the war ends, readers find out along with the narrators that most of their parents have perished during the Holocaust, and finally learn Winton’s identity. The in-the-moment text combines with emotional acrylic, colored-pencil, and collage illustrations in Alko’s (I Is for Immigrants) signature style to create a dreamlike atmosphere. Extensive back matter provides further context; a note explains that five of the children in the illustrations represent specific individuals among “Winton’s children,” and a quote from the mother of one of them, Vera Gissing, inspires the titular star motif. Pair with Sís’s Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued. (The Horn Book, starred review, Shoshona Flax)
“While there’s no shortage of Holocaust stories, Stelson has written a moving and uplifting account of a humanitarian effort that ultimately saved 669 Jewish Czech children. The Kindertransport took children from their hometown of Prague to England, where they lived with foster families while war broke out at home and most of their families were killed. The remarkable tale is told through a first-person plural that replicates the children’s innocent voices and experiences; Alko’s rich acrylic and collage illustrations help bring the heartbreaking historical event to life and render it accessible to a young audience. The story ends 50 years later, when the mystery of who helped the children, now grown, is revealed; Nicholas Winton, a British Jew and former banker, arranged all of it. “By saving us as children, Nicholas Winton saved our children, our grandchildren, and all their children to come.” The weight of his inspiring work is inestimable. Back matter includes further information about the Kindertransport and Yad Vashem’s Children’s Memorial, a time line, source notes, author’s note, illustrator’s note, bibliography, and further reading. VERDICT A necessary and inspirational book about a little-known light amid a dark period of history, this book should find a home in all libraries.” (School Library Journal, starred review, Carrie Voliva)
Stars of the Night:
The Courageous Children
of the Czech Kindertransport
written by Caren Stelson
illustrated by Selina Alko
Carolrhoda Books, 7 Feb 2023
ISBN 978–1467789035, grades 5–12
A portion of the proceeds
from this book are being donated to
We encourage you to
consider a donation as well.
