The title, Never Again, for Anyone by Stacy Friedman and illustrated by Elly Stern, might be a favorite read of the year or at least in my top 15. Sure there are a few bumpy parts, such as jumping into the middle of the story when it comes to the concept of Palestine and why the protesting is happening, but it also works as it feels believable. I think what was needed was to not make a jump or rash decision immediately after reading. I need to sit and let it sink in.
That means I need to think about the characters, what they are saying and what they are not saying. We see the events through the eyes of a young child (probably around first grade or so) and how the values of his Judaic faith can be applied to the everyday, or when it is most needed to help others. The mother of the story gives us a look at the past with her grandmother being a survivor of the Holocaust and how her feelings, thoughts and the sentiment of the title took shape. It is a liberal take on the subject, but I feel it is handled well since it is a serious theme. It would be best for the five and up crowd. It could be a good book for the classroom or if talking about current events.
Now, I get into the tricky part of the review. The illustrations. I’m not completely sure I like them. I mean I like them, but do I like-like them? There is a good color scheme, details are good, there is a nice flow to them, they complement the story in many different ways (some you won’t notice unless you really look at them). So, what is not to love? I admit, since it was an online reader that I read, it probably affected how I saw things. I want to find the finished copy (it is available) so I can literally get my hands on the book. It is an emotional story that needs you to feel all the pieces (or at least I do).
