When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

May 14, 2012 Anna Ligtenberg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 6-stars

ISBN 0440490170 - I've always loved books about WWII, because it's a time in history that is so full of stories of endurance and courage. When I picked this one up, I had my doubts about how well this era could be related in a kids' book - and I am so happy to say, it is excellent. The "secrets her parents are keeping" I read mentioned in one review don't exist. They're Jews, they live in Germany and they flee - no secret.

Anna and her family live in Germany as Hitler is coming into power, and he...more ISBN 0440490170 - I've always loved books about WWII, because it's a time in history that is so full of stories of endurance and courage. When I picked this one up, I had my doubts about how well this era could be related in a kids' book - and I am so happy to say, it is excellent. The "secrets her parents are keeping" I read mentioned in one review don't exist. They're Jews, they live in Germany and they flee - no secret.

Anna and her family live in Germany as Hitler is coming into power, and her father is one of the lucky ones who knew this was a bad thing before it was too late. On the eve of the elections, her family flees to Zurich and begins a new life as refugees. For Anna and her brother Max, this is an adventure, even if they are sad to leave their home and friends. They believe they will be able to come home in six months, so they are not heartbroken over it. They begin school, make new friends and learn new things - not all of them good - while their parents struggle to make ends meet. Her father, a famous writer, can't get regular work for good money and her mother has to learn to do things for herself and her family that they once hired people do to for them. From Zurich to Paris and eventually to England, Anna's family loses everything they own but learn that all they really need is one another.

There are some hilarious moments, such as when Anna's teacher tells the class that cavemen used safety pins, and some moments of triumph for everyone. Anna's and Max's success with French is a high point, as is their father's selling a screenplay. Without a doubt, the saddest moment isn't when Hitler stole pink rabbit, but when news of Onkel Julius' suicide reaches the family. For parents worried about that, it's written vaguely enough that a lot of kids will have to come to parents to really understand the passage. This is an excellent story, with Hitler and the Nazis not exactly starring in it - Anna's story is much more a day-to-day story than a rehashing of the war.

- AnnaLovesBooks (less)

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Aug 01, 2011 Janet rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This semi-autobiographical novel tells the story of Anna and her family’s flight from soon-to-be-Nazi-controlled Germany in 1933. Anna’s father is a famous author and is of Jewish descent. He knows that as soon as the Nazis come to power, which they will inevitably do, he will be arrested and so he leaves Germany for neutral Switzerland with Anna, her mother and her brother Max following on a few weeks later. They live in Switzerland for about a year but then have to move to France, and ultimate...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-with-the-kids

My teacher read this to our class when I was about 10 and the name stuck with me along with a memory of waiting impatiently for the next installment each day. Finally when trying to think of a different book to read to my own kids I asked a bookseller if they knew a book of that name (not having a clue who had written it).

My two boys were absolutely riveted although rather bemused when I sobbed through the more emotional bits (nine and seven year old boys may be slightly lacking in soul!) It is...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Alex Baugh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: world-war-2

First published in 1971, I have chosen Judith Kerr’s children’s classic When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit to read for the fourth week of the German Literature Month challenge. Kerr was born in Berlin in 1923. Her family chose to flee Germany just before the Nazis came to power because her father, Alfred Kerr, a well-known writer, had openly criticized this regime. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is Kerr’s autobiographical novel about their flight.

The book begins just before the March 1933 election. Th...more First published in 1971, I have chosen Judith Kerr’s children’s classic When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit to read for the fourth week of the German Literature Month challenge. Kerr was born in Berlin in 1923. Her family chose to flee Germany just before the Nazis came to power because her father, Alfred Kerr, a well-known writer, had openly criticized this regime. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is Kerr’s autobiographical novel about their flight.

The book begins just before the March 1933 election. Things are pretty good for Anna, 9, and her older brother, Max. They do well in school and enjoy playing with their friends. They are Jewish, but secular Jews. But one day her father disappears and Anna learns that he has traveled to Prague. He had been warned that he would be a wanted man by the Nazis depending on what happened in the upcoming election.

A few days before the election, the Reichstag Fire occurs and it is decided that the rest of the family would now travel to Switzerland to meet up with him. All household goods are packed and put into storage, including all the toys and games that belong to the children. Their Onkle Julius, who happens to have had a Jewish grandmother, but thinks he is safe and that the Nazis won’t last anyway, is sorry to see them go, but expects the family back with a short time.

The train to Switzerland is a harrowing adventure. There is always the fear that the passports will be questioned or worse, taken from them, barring entry to Switzerland. But everything goes well and the family arrives in Zurich and are all reunited. They soon learn that the Nazis had shown up at their home in Berlin to collect their passports the morning after the election that gave Hitler supreme power in Germany.

The formerly well off family suddenly finds themselves very poor and Anna’s father can find very little work as a writer/journalist. Despite their neutrality, the Swiss don’t want provoke the Nazis right across the border. Nevertheless, Anna and her family remain in Switzerland for about a year, living in two small, inexpensive rooms at a Gasthof. It is very pleasant there; in fact, the only unpleasant incidents are from German visitors who refuse to let their children play with Jews.

It is later decided to move to Paris, in the hope of getting more paid work. Once again the family find themselves living in a small, inexpensive apartment. There are many adjustment difficulties, such as Max and Anna are expected to attend school and learn French at the same time. Food and money are scarce, and everyone is beginning to get on each other’s nerves. But they make friends with the Fernand family, which gives them some social outlet. Eventually, the family makes it way to London, where things are expected to work out better for the family.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is an uncomplicated book, told from the point of view of a child, which Kerr was when she lived through these events. Yet, if you read between the lines, it is a much more multifaceted story for anyone who knows something about the history of that period of time in Nazi Germany. And Onkle Julius is typical of many people who believed that things would get better, that heritage didn’t count and by the time they realized the danger they were in, it was too late to leave Germany.

I did feel that Kerr’s depiction of what life is like as a refugee may have been a little too rose-colored, and since I felt that the character of Anna never really grew, so she saw everything rather naively. The incidents where the family faced some serious danger from the Nazis were well done, but the day to day existence of having no money and being cold, hungry or afraid were really skimmed over. On the other hand, Kerr is a self-proclaimed optimist and I am not. Yet, I do feel that this is a book that should be read by both children and adults.

This book is recommended for readers age 9 and up.
This book was purchased for my person library.(less)

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May 22, 2013 Michael Menaker added it · review of another edition

Quarter 4 Book Review(When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit By:Judith Kerr)

This semi-autobiographical novel tells the story of Anna and her family’s indecisive sojourn away from Germany, precedingly avoiding the Nazi’s. Anna’s father is a famous critic/writer and is Jewish descent. He knows Nazis will inevitably come to power, and when they do he will be arrested and so he leaves Germany for neutral Switzerland with Anna, her mother and her brother Max over the following few weeks. They live in Switzerl

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Nov 23, 2012 LH Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-literature, classics, historical, war

This book is one of those that feel somehow effortless, as if they were just waiting to be written. Kerr's fictionalised story of her childhood is, and deserves to be, one of those eternal classics of children's literature.

Anna (Judith) is growing up in Germany. She is Jewish, and her father is a famous writer. Following the rise of Nazism, and the climate becoming increasingly fragile in Germany, her parents make the decision to leave. This book follows Anna throughout the first part of her jo...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Terri Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, fiction, world-war-2

I have been meaning to read this since I was 12 in 1971 when it first came out and finally have gotten around to it. I'm glad I did.

This is the story of a nonreligious family of cultural Jews who were smart enough to get out of Berlin right at the time of Hitler's election. The father, a famous journalist and Nazi critic, got word that if Hitler was elected the Nazis were going to take his passport so he slipped out of the country to Prague and then to Switzerland a short time before the electi...more I have been meaning to read this since I was 12 in 1971 when it first came out and finally have gotten around to it. I'm glad I did.

This is the story of a nonreligious family of cultural Jews who were smart enough to get out of Berlin right at the time of Hitler's election. The father, a famous journalist and Nazi critic, got word that if Hitler was elected the Nazis were going to take his passport so he slipped out of the country to Prague and then to Switzerland a short time before the election. He then had his wife, daughter Anna, and son Max take the train to Switzerland beginning the day before the election and completing their journey on election day.

The "pink rabbit" referred to in the title was Anna's stuffed pink rabbit she had had since she was a baby. She chose to take a newer stuffed dog instead (why couldn't she take both?). The family thought they would come back if Hitler was not elected but he was and then installed himself as Fuhrer and so their things they had stored were all seized, including pink rabbit. Anna regretted leaving it behind as it had been her lovey. My own daughter still has her stuffed black lab puppy toy.

In Switzerland, the father cannot get any of the papers to buy his articles. They want to maintain neutrality and he has strong words against the Nazis that could bring trouble in on them. The family later moves to Paris and finally to London.

If you are homeschooling or if you teach in a school, obviously this is a great book to share but it must not be the only one you share lest children believe that things were easier than they were. You see, this book makes it look as if Jews who fled the Nazis had it fairly easy.

For example, the family was forewarned that the father's passport was likely to be taken so he just hops a train to Prague and then to Switzerland. Money was no problem. He had his wife and kids come to Switzerland and they spent over a month in an expensive hotel and had the doctor in daily due to Anna becoming seriously ill. All meals for all the family were bought in the hotel. Most Jews could not afford to do all of this for a family of 4. They lived for a while in another hotel and again, no one is working. This was not the situation for most Jews. Only once did they run into a bigoted Nazi family.

Then they just moved to Paris, rented a place, placed the kids in school, and lived on the few articles he could sell to a radical paper.While times were harder for them, they never went hungry, had a roof over their heads, the kids went to school, and they were clothed. The worst problem was the kids trying to learn French. Finally, when the dad saw a composition Anna did on Napoleon, he wrote his first screenplay which he sold to a Hungarian film company in London and they all dashed there to live. Please! With London being blitzed and a depression on, what is the likelihood that someone's first screenplay is going to be bought for a large price by a Hungarian company in London when he can't even sell articles to the paper and sight unseen?

It's a good story but I would include a lot more realistic material and remind children that this is more fairy tale than fact when it comes to the real lives of those Jews who fled Hitler. (less)

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Jun 04, 2012 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

“When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit” by the German author Judith Kerr was published in 1971. The story is based on Judith Kerr’s own experience during the Second World War. She was born in Berlin to Jewish parents and when her father fiercely attacked the Nazis the family was forced to flee Germany in 1933.

“When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit” is about a girl named Anna and her life as a refugee. Anna is Jewish and just like the author is forced to leave her home country Germa...more When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

“When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit” by the German author Judith Kerr was published in 1971. The story is based on Judith Kerr’s own experience during the Second World War. She was born in Berlin to Jewish parents and when her father fiercely attacked the Nazis the family was forced to flee Germany in 1933.

“When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit” is about a girl named Anna and her life as a refugee. Anna is Jewish and just like the author is forced to leave her home country Germany because of her father’s opposition to the Nazis. When Anna is shipped off to Switzerland she has to leave many belongings behind. When the Nazis take power they confiscate all these items including Anna’s toy pink rabbit, hence the title of the book. The book relates Anna’s new life in Switzerland, Paris and England, where the family struggles to survive on very little money and faces people who are anti-Semitic. For Anna however, none of this matters, the most important thing is being together as a family.

One of my favorite scenes is when Anna, her brother Max and her mother are on the train to Switzerland to join her father, who had left Germany ahead of them. Everyone is so relieved to have crossed the border into Switzerland that they are in high spirits. They ask the lady sitting next to them what she is carrying in her basket. She replies a “mogger”. The children ask her what that is but before the lady can reply, a cat screeches “meeee”. The children find this hilarious and spend the rest of the journey laughing and mimicking the cat. The scene is a clever way of recreating the tension and the subsequent relaxation of the characters, as they cross both a real frontier and a mental frontier from danger to safety.

Another scene I enjoyed was when Anna’s Grandmother Omama comes to visit. Her dog Pumpel is begging in front of the wash basin and when Anna asks her Grandmother what he wants, she explains that he wants the lightbulb because he thinks it is a tennis ball to play with. This is another very funny scene but it is also poignant because Anna does not want to go out and buy the ball as her Grandmother suggests since it costs a lot of money and Anna is very aware of how little money the rest of the family have. When Anna returns, Pumpel bites the ball and breaks it immediately, leaving Anna frustrated at the waste.

I enjoyed reading this book. I particularly liked the way the story follows the central character in her journey through difficult stages in her life. The book discusses many themes including fear, family love, friendship, resilience and change. Fear is the background of the whole story in the form of Hitler and the Nazis as well as the anti-Semitic people around Anna. Family love and friendship are what helps Anna survive this difficult time. Anna learns resilience to be able to face the challenges around her and undergoes many changes as she moves from country to country with different languages and new experiences.

“When Hitler Stole PInk Rabbit” is narrated in fairly straight forward language with a mixture of description and dialogue. The setting is central to the whole plot as Anna moves from place to place as a refugee. There are many characters introduced throughout the story but only some of them are developed, many are just there as there to help us understand Anna’s experience in that place, at that time. The plot is simple since this is the story of a young girl who has not yet developed complex emotions.

I would recommend this book to children from the ages of 11-14 years old since this is the story of a girl around that age. The language is accessible for this age group and the story is captivating for all ages.(less)

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May 02, 2012 Emma Walker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This story is about a young Jewish girl called Anna who is living in Germany in 1933. Her family suddenly explain to Anna that they will be leaving Germany and everything that they know. Anna, along with her brother and parents leave Germany for Switzerland. The story, written from Anna’s perspective, highlights the feelings and life of a young refugee.

I would recommend this book for pupils in upper key stage two and key stage three and I think that it would support learning about World War 2. H...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Chandler Browni rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Funny, to have a title that has the words “Pink” and “Rabbit” and it ends up having to do with the Nazis. Just one little plush rabbit, which is light-pink and worn out, had to do when Hitler had began his reign over Germany and the genocide of the Jews. This story’s title was given the name When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr. This story focuses on the lives of Anna’s family; or more specifically, Anna. In the story, it is all about her and her Jewish family trying to escape the Nazis,...more Funny, to have a title that has the words “Pink” and “Rabbit” and it ends up having to do with the Nazis. Just one little plush rabbit, which is light-pink and worn out, had to do when Hitler had began his reign over Germany and the genocide of the Jews. This story’s title was given the name When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr. This story focuses on the lives of Anna’s family; or more specifically, Anna. In the story, it is all about her and her Jewish family trying to escape the Nazis, who were just one step behind them the whole time. And this is the story of their escape.

In the beginning of the book, it focuses on Anna and her friend from school walk home. Little did they know about Hitler and the Nazis, and knew even less of what they would do and the power they had in their grasp. Once she comes home to her Jewish family, Anna finds out that her and her family is to move two days before Hitler’s election. If not, they would be sent to concentration camps and would be killed. They move to Switzerland, which is safe for the time being (about two years). Then, her father lands a job in France as a news reporter, and then move there so their father could start work and help pay for the bills. But in France, the money wasn’t enough to sustain their living habits like they were in Germany, so her father began writing a script for a movie to try to get some cash and hopefully move to the safe county of England. Their script was bought for a very ample amount of money, and had enough to move to England. After saying their goodbyes, they left for England.

To me, this book was very slow, and didn’t at all have a very interesting storyline. There was no climax, if there was I didn’t get it. I do like how the story had started off quickly, so it didn’t take a long time to get to the rising action. This book would be better if something sudden and scary happened. Since this is a book about the Nazis and escaping them, there should have been an action scene where the Nazis invade France and for them to run out or something, but nothing interesting happened. I think the author wrote this book because it was to inform us of how life was like during WWII and what life is like as a refugee. In the end, I didn’t really like the book; but it was readable.

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Dec 20, 2011 Abby Coccimiglio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Think it all through.

The thought process of a writer is amazing. In the book Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit Anna’s dad is an amazing writer. In his city he writes for the newspaper. This book takes place in 1933 in Switzerland, Germany, and a few other places along their journey. Life has its challenges, and some are greater than others, you need to accept others and they way they deal with life.

This book was a good book because it had great suspense. I always wanted to read more. This book would be...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Tea Time Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is a book for kids and teenagers. I know that many friends of mine had to read it in school but for some reason, I never had to. Nevertheless, I always thought that it is an important novel that I should have read. Thus, last year, I bought it but then forgot about it again. Last week, when I was in bed sick with the flu, I was going through the books in my shelf I have not read yet and there it was and grabbed my attention. I started reading it in the morning and r...more When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is a book for kids and teenagers. I know that many friends of mine had to read it in school but for some reason, I never had to. Nevertheless, I always thought that it is an important novel that I should have read. Thus, last year, I bought it but then forgot about it again. Last week, when I was in bed sick with the flu, I was going through the books in my shelf I have not read yet and there it was and grabbed my attention. I started reading it in the morning and read it in one day even though I had to take breaks because I couldn‘t concentrate anymore due to my illness.

Being German, I was always interested in the past of my home country even though the history of Germany is so cruel and sad. But especially because it is like that I think that it is really important to educate our kids about this dreadful part of our history and to explain why things have happened and how they could have been avoided in order to make sure that something like this will never happen again. In Germany this is done very well in school and after reading this novel, I can see why many people read it during their school time.

Judith Kerr did a fantastic job describing this part of the German history from the view of a Jewish family escaping from Nazi Germany. She finds a way of explaining things in a kids and teenager friendly way as well as delivering a story that is entertaining and nice to read. In some parts it is even funny and the reader forgets about the terrible things that have happened at the same time.

The story is based on her real life and describes how she and her family escape from Germany first to Switzerland, then to France and finally to Britain. It shows a young girl growing up under extremely difficult circumstances. She needs to adapt to new countries, new surroundings, new people and, even more difficult, to new languages over and over again. But while all this is happening the only thing that matters to her is that her family stays together. She manages all problems no matter how hard situations may appear. This is something everybody should see as a role model because it can even help nowadays. The story shows that no matter how difficult life can be there is always something that matters more than money or valuables and that are the people surrounding you.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is a story that gives hope and perfectly explains the most important bits of history of the Nazi time. The book can be read by young and old equally. In the end, I felt as if I was part of this little family who just wanted to live a normal life together somewhere without having to fear for their lives. The family does not even feel at home anywhere because their home was taken away from them and at the end they are still on the run but I like how even this horrible situation is turned into something positive by the father in the end: “We‘ll belong a little in lots of places, and I think that may be just as good.“ They always kept their chins up and eventually they got out of their situation even stronger than before and that is something I consider as the most important message of this novel.

Thanks to Judith Kerr for sharing her own experiences and for enriching us with this great book!

Read more of my reviews here: http://booksaroundtheworld.wordpress.com (less)

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Jan 07, 2011 Fiona rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

having randomly picked up this book in registration at school, expecting it not to be great, after all it was in an english classroom and hadn't been studied at my school since 1995. i was very plesantly suprised to find that i very soon became addicted to this delightful story. instead of egarly waiting for my friends to come to regi so i could talk to them, i found my self cursing when they walked in the door, as it meant i had to stop reading. i'm a person that adores reading, however recentl...more

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Nov 28, 2010 Bookguide rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Bookguide by: ApoloniaX

This book is aimed at pre-teens / early secondary school level, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and possibly empathised more with the adults, particularly the mother, than I might have done if I'd read it as a child.

This is one of those stories rarely told about the period preceding WWII; the everyday difficulties of a Jewish family who left Germany before Hitler came to power. Anna and Max's parents shielded them from the fear of what they suspected was going to happen, so even the fact that their...more This book is aimed at pre-teens / early secondary school level, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and possibly empathised more with the adults, particularly the mother, than I might have done if I'd read it as a child.

This is one of those stories rarely told about the period preceding WWII; the everyday difficulties of a Jewish family who left Germany before Hitler came to power. Anna and Max's parents shielded them from the fear of what they suspected was going to happen, so even the fact that their famous journalist father felt that he was in danger so that the whole family had to leave, did not make them truly scared. They knew that it was important that they didn't tell anybody that their father had already gone to Switzerland, but there was no terror when they left themselves, although their mother was obviously nervous. The time in Switzerland was more or less idyllic, but the family had to move on to Paris so that Papa could earn a living.The strength of the book is not so much that it reveals much about WWII, but that it tells the feelings of a young girl who had to adjust to life in a strange country and learn a new language; it is the refugee or expat experience, rather than the Jewish experience, and it is brought down to the level at which a child experiences it. As in 'The Diary of Anne Frank', we hear about the daily irritations, the problems of a family living in reduced circumstances; the mother who had to learn how to cook and keep house, the impractical father who didn't understand, the children who were outgrowing their clothes, all against the background of the Depression. Yet the family adapted and was happy nevertheless, and only in the fact that they had to flee their country at all is a hint of what was happening to the Jews, apart from a few isolated incidents, such as the tale of the famous man in the kennel and Onkel Julius, but this is all told at one remove, remote from their own lives.

This is a very interesting book, and told in a way which would appeal to children around the time they go to senior school. It gives a good picture of the "make do and mend" way of life which their grandparents grew up in, and which now only seems to be led by people who are seriously interested in recycling. Children nowadays wouldn't believe that most children in those days would not have had many clothes, and that they would be patched and mended when necessary. Food also seems to be an obsession in Judith Kerr's books, probably due to the rationing she experienced as she was growing up. In this book, food is often described, and in 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea', a tiger visits and eats and drinks everything so that the family has to go out for dinner at a café, an occurence which would have been rare in the 1970s when both books were written. I would imagine that those of us who grew up in the '70s and '80s would find it easier to imagine than today's children who have grown up in a much more affluent society, and to whom the 1930s seem like ancient history. All the more reason, then, to give them easily accessible stories such as this one to bring the period alive.

I am hoping that my 10-year-old daughter can be persuaded to let me read it to her, as she took one look at the cover illustration (a serious-looking dark-haired girl clutching a pink rabbit, in her coat, hat and scarf, standing next to a suitcase, and in the background a large swastica), and decided it wasn't for her age-group, used as she is to bright colours and frivolous subjects. I wonder what the latest cover looks like, as I am pretty sure that other children would also be put off by such an illustration.

Bookcrossing: ApoloniaX's bookray, http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8...(less)

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Mar 06, 2013 Kailee rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about a young girl and her family who move from Germany because they fear Hitler would soon be elected. The story is told from a young girl named Anna’s point of view. It starts off with just her average life; she goes to school, eats dinner with her family, and goes to bed. Her dad decides to move the family, because he is worried that if Hitler is elected that he would take his job away. At the time her dad is a journalist. They end up moving all around Europe.
I didn't enjoy readi...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Debbie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the latest in my survey of young adult books about the Holocaust. With that aim in mind, I rated the book with just two stars. It mentions some of the things going on in Nazi Germany, including the election of Hitler, the book burning, and the increased control over the press, but this book is more about a young girl (9-11 years old, as it covers several years) who is adjusting to being a refugee.

She moves between several countries, has to make new friends, adjust to new school expectat...more

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Nov 04, 2009 Cammie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Children

Recommended to Cammie by: Pen pal from Germany

This story is about a little Jewish girl, Anna and her family who lives in Berlin, Germany. It started a while before Hitler won the elections. The day started when an police officer alerted Anna's father that they were going to revoke his passport. He leaves for Switzerland until the elections. At first, the remainder of the family would leave the day after the elections to see if Hitler would win but then decided to leave the day before just in case if Hitler won. [Later, they find out that it...more

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Jul 16, 2012 the never-ending library added it · review of another edition

Anna was one of my all-time favourite protagonists when I was younger, and re-reading her now I totally get why I fell in love with her rambunctious spirit and insatiable determination. It makes her so compelling to read and see the war from her hilariously unique perspective.

The book has this mad wonderfulness about it because the war for Anna was not so much about survival but about learning to be a stranger in a new place, throwing herself in at the deep end and finding humour in the endless...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Anton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

When I picked this book up, I thought "strange title" and was expecting the book to be boring. When I read the first page it was really well written.
This book is about a family who escaped from Germany when the Nazis where in Government and had to escape from Berlin to Switzerland, to Switzerland to France to France to England. Adventures in each country making the book fast paced at times, exciting at others, sometimes slow, but never boring. The family only know how to read, speak and write i...more When I picked this book up, I thought "strange title" and was expecting the book to be boring. When I read the first page it was really well written.
This book is about a family who escaped from Germany when the Nazis where in Government and had to escape from Berlin to Switzerland, to Switzerland to France to France to England. Adventures in each country making the book fast paced at times, exciting at others, sometimes slow, but never boring. The family only know how to read, speak and write in German so learning other languages makes it difficult for them. When they were in Berlin everything was fine, until someone warned Papa (a writer and one of the main characters) had heard rumours about the Nazis winning the Government and killing the Jews. So; Anna (the oldest daughter), Max (the younger brother), Papa, and Mama (the mother of Anna and Max, and the husband of Papa), go on a train to Switzerland. In Switzerland they encounter many adventures, before moving to Paris. In Paris; Anna and Max learn French, Max going to school first, taking the train and not arriving home before 5 o'clock each night. Anna stays home with Mama, because Mama wants to send Anna to a good school. Papa is getting fewer articles the paper wants him to write, making Papa owning less money, especially since the paper is going in debut. Times are hard, being rich at one point then going to poor. Eventually Max picks up French, and starts picking on Anna, who hasn't quite picked it up yet. Later on Mama finds a school for Anna to go to, and she finds it difficult because she can't speak the language. In class they had to do a dictation and; what Anna and her teacher think, Anna got a record of 142 (I think it was) mistakes. A few months later Anna has a meltdown and Mama gets worried, so the two go out to buy cod, on the way they stop at a cake shop and have a cake and some tea. They discuss the situation and Mama listens. They agree that, if Anna still struggles they’ll do something about it. Finally Anna starts understanding French much better. Then Anna overhears her parent s stressing out, because Papa isn’t making enough money. So he starts writing a script… One day Papa comes home with a sewing machine that doesn’t work, and Mama yells at him. So Anna and Max’s French teacher goes with Papa to the shop and get into an argument with the shop owner. In the end they get a refund. Papa then finishes his script and sends it to several publishers, but they reject they the script. Then one publisher excepts his script and paying Papa 1000 pounds. Then family heads off to England.
The best war book I've ever read. I think it's better then; Once, Then and Now by Morris Gleitzman. (less)

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Jan 06, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is a story of a young girl named Anna. This book is about her trails from one country to another while her family tries to flee from the Nazis that are steadily taking over Germany. The story is from Anna's point of view so she really had no idea what is going on. All she knows it that her family is not safe in Germany and has to get out. She has some idea of how bad the Nazis are but has no clue what they are capable of. She has difficulties leaving her friends but...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Chandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, historical-fiction, ww2, clever-girls, kids-young-adult

I approached this with a lot of false expectations based on the title and description. I was really delighted because, while this is a WW II era novel written by a German Jew, the perspective is very different from any I have read. Anna and her family (secular Jews for starters) were among the first to see the signs and flee Berlin just prior to the Nazi's rise to power. What this book chronicles is not the countless horrors of Nazism, but instead a family's experience as refugees - first in Swi...more I approached this with a lot of false expectations based on the title and description. I was really delighted because, while this is a WW II era novel written by a German Jew, the perspective is very different from any I have read. Anna and her family (secular Jews for starters) were among the first to see the signs and flee Berlin just prior to the Nazi's rise to power. What this book chronicles is not the countless horrors of Nazism, but instead a family's experience as refugees - first in Switzerland, then France, and finally England.

I was in a unique position to compare this one with another immigrant experience novel (also based on real life events) - Inside Out & Back Again - because I read them back to back. While I found Inside Out & Back Again slightly more 'special', both are extremely well written and evocative of time and place and experience. The perspective of both novels is uniquely and totally convincingly childlike - something that can be quite hard to achieve when looking back with adult knowledge and hindsight. Anna, despite leaving a fairly privileged life in Berlin, almost completely embraces the upheaval - seeing it as more of an adventure than an abandonment of all that is comfortable and familiar. Naturally, she is less aware of the gravity of the situation - mainly because the bulk of the true atrocities of the era hadn't actually happened, but also because she is a child and sees the world as such.

I was struck by how *real* the parents are allowed to be in this novel. In a genre awash with either absent, impossibly perfect or deeply flawed parents it is so refreshing to encounter adult characters who are multifaceted. Anna's father is clever and talented, but can be distracted and self-absorbed at times. Anna's mother can be impatient and short tempered and has severe shortcomings when it comes to domestic matters. And yet, they are both loving and conscientious parents trying desperately to do the best by their children in uncertain times. And, in fact, we find at the end that the family unit has been strengthened by their experiences. They've grown closer living in small spaces and learned to appreciate the important things in life by getting by on less. Take that Hitler!

Because of it's generally upbeat tone I think this would be a fantastic book to give or share with a child as an introduction to the time period. Highly recommended!(less)

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Feb 14, 2011 Jay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-german, books-i-own, historical-recent, kids, non-fiction, tampon-theatre, ya

Given that Kerr wrote this about her own experiences as a young Jewish girl fleeing Germany in 1933, it's not surprising that this tale rang so true. While some parts are really only skimmed over, such as who Hitler was and why the family had to leave Germany in the first place, these were probably not the most important problems for a young child at the time. This is also somewhat different from other WWII novels/memoirs. This family escapes, and it's not the war that effects Anna so much as co...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Malquiviades rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoirs-autobiography, non-fiction, spanish-version

Another unexpected nice surprise.

This is a children's book, but this fact does not minimize its value. I rather say that it makes it even better, as it is really difficult to tell important things to children without being overly dramatic or shallow. This book makes it quite well.

This is the (autobiographical) story of a Jew family forced to flee from Germany when Nazi party sized the Government, saw from a 10 year old girl. How she realizes that being a refugee is more than a great adventure as...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Nafisa Shabbir rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Judith Kerr- When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

This book is about a little girl called Anna and her brother Max who grew up in Germany during the holocaust. Anna's father is a writer who actively speaks out against hitler and as a result becomes a wanted man. The book explores the family's strife as they escape Germany into Switzerland and how Anna and her brother Max are forced to learn a new language, attend a new school whilst also face prejudice for being Jewish. The family also go from riches to...more Judith Kerr- When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

This book is about a little girl called Anna and her brother Max who grew up in Germany during the holocaust. Anna's father is a writer who actively speaks out against hitler and as a result becomes a wanted man. The book explores the family's strife as they escape Germany into Switzerland and how Anna and her brother Max are forced to learn a new language, attend a new school whilst also face prejudice for being Jewish. The family also go from riches to rags as Anna's father struggles to find work and living becomes near impossible for the family. The family are forced to ration food and when Anna and her brother need new clothes their mother is forced to learn how to sew and mend what little clothes that they have.

The book itself is also autobiographical and based heavily on Judith Kerr's own experiences as a little girl growing up during the war. For me this book is excellent in explaining the holocaust to a child of a primary school level. It deals with issues sensitively whilst also explaining it from a childs point of view, which makes it easier for other children to relate to.

This book would therefore be most suitable for children between the ages of 8-11yrs. It can be used in History to teach children about WW2. Lessons can include learning about blackouts and rationing, children can do role-plays as well as the teacher setting them a mini research project as a group. We can also look as key passages in the book such as Anna's mum mending her clothes and socks and can talk about how in the war due to shortages people often had to 'Make do and Mend'. For English the children can create a time capsule of how they would like to be remembered and can include letters, drawing, pictures of themselves and friends and family, they can also put things in the time capsule such as toys, favourite sweets and books ect.
A trip to the V&A Museum of Childhood would also be beneficial as children can see toys and clothes from the past and see how childhood was different during the war.(less)

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May 13, 2013 124kafayat rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Welcome to the life of Anna, a cute 9 year old that has a perky personality and a fairly wealthy family. This all changes for her when this mysterious man named Hitler tries to run Germany and get them killed. Her and her family all end up having to trick people into believing they were traveling west and instead traveling to different countries every month or so such as Switzerland, France, and England. Their family goes from living comfortably to having to scrimp and pitch every penny they get...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Cheryl in CC NV rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read for the Nov. Children's Books group discussion. I'd really like to read some historical fiction for children about some other event, but at least this took place early, starting before Hitler was actually elected. And it's true, and it was written fairly long ago, before most of the other WWII fiction I've read.

One thing I found interesting here is how quickly some of the French people got nasty to the Jewish refugees, for no good reason except that their world was turning into a nasty plac...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Eccentrika rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, historical, series

Mi piacciono i libri che parlano di un argomento delicato e tristemente reale come quello del nazismo e appena ne ho l'occasione sperimento sempre nuove letture di tale tematica. Questo libro per ragazzi però ha leggermente disatteso le mie aspettative perché pensavo che la storia fosse più incentrata sul nazismo e invece ne parla in maniera molto blanda e defilata. La protagonista è Anna, una ragazzina berlinese di origine ebrea, che con la sua famiglia è costretta a scappare per sfuggire alla...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Chrissie marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: kids, hf, germany, bbc, bio

BBC will broadcast this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01d2bxg

Thank you, Laura, for telling me.

I have trouble navigating BBC. I missed that last parts, or at least I cannot find them. No, Laura helped me find the third part!

I have listened to the third part. :0) It seems that the trilogy is composed of
1.When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
2.Bombs on Aunt Dainty
3.A Small Person Far Away

There is a book here at GoodReads with that name.

I think Out Of The Hitler Time and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit ...more

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Apr 25, 2010 Barbara Mader rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wwii

Really liked it. A mainly autobiographical story. A well-written, sort of quiet book that is not so much about World War II politics or the first-hand witnessing of atrocities (none of the latter), but about a secular, Jewish family that flees Berlin in 1933, goes on to Switzerland, then settles in Paris for a few years, told from the point of view of a ten (to twelve) years-old girl. The story continues in a second and third book.

I think it's a good "entry" book about WWII for kids because they...more

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Oct 17, 2009 Ms Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-10-oct, formystudents

This was a pretty good book. The chapters were a little disjointed due to the amount of time that passes, sort of along the lines of Mowat's The Dog Who Wouldn't Be. The ending is incredibly abrupt, as if the author just lopped off whatever ending she had in mind...and then I looked and found out there's two more books that go with it. Memo to self: read those. The book has good description, and I like how the main character (well, the author, actually, since this story is based on the author's...more

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When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (Out of the Hitler Time #1)

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