The Harmonica [Paperback]

Sometimes a book falls into your hands that you know will carve a road through your heart before you open it. In this case, from the cover illustration and title, I knew that Tony Johnston's picture book; THE HARMONICA would be such a read. Inspired by the true story of Henryk Rosmaryn, this picture book takes readers on a journey through the nightmare of the Holocaust.

The story itself is poignant, painful and full of the hope that human beings find in the worst of times. Our narrator is a young boy with the gift of music who lives in Poland. Despite their poverty, his father acquires a harmonica for him. But this joyous time is short lived when the Nazi's arrive, tearing his parents away and sending him off to live in a concentration camp. A commandant hears him playing Schubert on the harmonica one night and demands the boy to play for him every night in exchange for bread. Ultimately, the boy finds strength through his playing and realizes it is a way to give his fellow prisoners hope in the darkness. There are, of course, many books on this subject-many good books. I think I can safely say this joins their ranks. Ms. Johnston's simple, lyrical text is both poetic and harsh in its narration. That is evident from the opening lines "I cannot remember my father's face, or my mother's, but I remember their love, warm and enfolding as a song." The text never falters, and never becomes overwrought. With a large font, and only a few lines per page, the story unfolds more like a poem than a straight narrative.

This is illustrator Ron Mazellan's first children's book, and it is a stunning achievement. With a mixture of art mediums, the images come to life in rich color and texture. Characters are drawn in high detail while the backgrounds are more sparse and indistinct giving the entire story a slightly dream-like quality, which goes well with Johnston's lyrical text. In the earlier, happier pictures, the images are a wash of warm golds and browns. As the Nazi's encroach up on the picture, the washes turn to grays, and purples and blues. And then the warmth begins the come back in as he remembers his family and embraces the music. So much of the story is conveyed by the emotion in these pictures, that a reader can take a long time studying a single image before turning the page. At the very back of the book, there is a note that this book was inspired by the true story of Henryk Rosmaryn who survived the hardships of the concentration camps and made his way to the United States, where he continued to play his harmonica to inspire others.

This is not a story for a young child. Picture books are not always for beginning readers or toddlers, this story is not happy, and while there is a positive message within the music, there is no satisfactory conclusion for a youngster. There is no happy reunion for the boy and his family; there is no come-uppence for the violent commandant. The book does not offer resolutions or reassurance. For a child who is learning about the Holocaust, however, this may be one of the books to introduce them to. It has a young narrator for them to identify with and some powerful messages to share. And while it is dark and grim, the book is not grisly. Everything is shown through the eyes of the main narrator. Be prepared to spend some time discussing this book and the events that inspired it. This is a beautiful and powerful book, but it does have an appropriate time and place for a child to discover it.

For those who love THE HARMONICA, I would recommend the picture books ONE YELLOW DAFFODIL by David A. Adler and THE SECRET SEDER by Doreen Rappaport.

Good Reading! Shanshad ^_^

This picture book is based on the true story of a Holocaust survivor, who is torn away from his family at an early age. His harmonica keeps his connection to his parents alive and the memories they shared.
The content of this picture book is of serious nature,and provides realistic images of what the boy has to endure during his time at the concentration camp. It is not recommended for children under 10.
The book is very dark and quite grim. However, the language in the story has a lyrical flow and the word choice creates vivid imagery. A read aloud of this story leaves the reader with an eerie feeling.
The illustrations complement the message from the text and reflect the boy's memories and feelings.
--Vance 202

This book is essentially an earnest and well-illustrated poem, although it is difficult to imagine who might ever choose to read it. It falls under the category of "Illustrated Books About the Holocaust", but it is too depressing for youngsters, and too obscure for older students. The notes at the end tell us that the book was inspired by the true story of Henryk Rosmaryn, who survived a concentration camp with the help of his talent on the harmonica. The poem that constitutes this story relates the sorrowful tale of a contented, poor, but musical family that is destroyed by the Holocaust. Most of the lines are bleak, such as:

"Often, to keep from losing hope, I touched the harmonica,

cold inside my pocket.

I wept when I thought of my father and mother.

I awoke jolted from sleep. And I knew--

My parents were dead.

Then I played Shubert.

Played and played while my heart reeled.

The boy in the story plays Shubert on his harmonica for the camp commandant, who tosses him bread, and thus he manages to stay alive. There is also the hope that the boy's music has also managed to uplift the spirits of other prisoners at the camp. The illustrations are well done but dark, especially the painting of the commandant with his black dogs and whip. In general, a curious choice for publication in a genre that is saturated with too many dreary books of this kind. Recommended only for ages 12 -up who are interested in the Holocaust.