Lisette's Angel

by Amy Littlesugar, Max Ginsburg (Illustrator)

When soldiers invade their quaint town of Normandy in France, Lisette prays for an angel to help her family overcome this terrible time, in a powerful story of the 1944 D-day invasion told from a child's perspective.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, World War II

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 13, 2002

Reviews

[Joey Zadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very interested in World War II and think that the stories from that time are absolutely incredible because the war was not all that long ago, so it still seems relevant. It seems especially relevant since I just recently visited Germany and saw the effects of the war that are still lingering there today. Lisette's Angel is a book about a girl living in France and living through the time of the German invasions of France during World War II. It is a great book to read aloud to students around grades 4-5 because it introduces them to the topic of war, which can be very hard for them to comprehend, but it does it through the eyes of a young girl; so it is easier for them to relate to. I say grades 4-5 not necessarily because of the language used in the book, but more so because of the content. This could be used before beginning a unit on World War II, but since that is something that might not be studied by such young kids, it is a great book to pull on Veteran's Day and read aloud to the students to show them the importance of our veterans and what they have done for us and so many other people around the world. This book has the opportunity to catch the attention of the students using sentiment while at the same time teaching them about WWII. There are also many French words and elements in this book such as referring to the store owner in town as Monsieur Lomoine, so this book could also easily be used as part of a unit on France or the French Language.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Much for the Illustrations as for the Story

LISETTE'S ANGEL is a warmly informative book for children from grades 2 through 4. The story is one of survival during WW II and takes place in Normandy, France where the life of Lisette changes from the near-fairy tale existence of a child surrounded by nature and art only to be changed by the Occupation by the Nazi troops. The dark years hang heavily on the little girl's mind. Her 'angel' is an American paratrooper who comes out of the sky and eventually reorders Lisette's life to one of beauty: the Occupation is over.

The story is a lovely one, but one of the most fascinating aspects of this book is the art of illustration. Max Ginsburg is not only an apt illustrator - he is a gifted artist in the field of fine art. His works have graced many books but now it is time for a solid retrospective of his rather phenomenal gifts as a painter. This is a little book to purchase on many levels - both for the story by Amy Little sugar and for the art of Max Ginsburg. Highly recommended.

Grady Harp

[Courtney Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Reaction:
Lisette's Angel is about the Holocaust. It is a pleasant story of how life was for the germans living at this point in time. I appreciate how it is not gory or inappropriate for young children to learn about the past. I think it is a great idea to help children to start learning about such impactful historical events at a young age. I know that my school district did not teach us about the holocaust in the earlier years of elementary school.

Purposes:
This is a good book for grades 2-4. I believe this would be a good read aloud for curriculum based learning. This book could be used when introducing the Holocaust and what it was like for certain people experiencing the Holocaust. I also think it would serve as a good lesson for different types of figurative language in an english lesson. Lisette's Angel includes many examples of onomatopoeia including 'whoosh' and 'click-clack' as well as similes like 'My arms and legs burned like fire."

[Alyssa Ruehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book leads to a great insight about the Holocaust. I personally connected to this book by putting myself in this scary situation. The young girl, Lisette, prays for an angel to save her. Eventually, an 'angel' comes in an American army uniform as a paratrooper. He was injured, and Lisette hid him in the barn while the Germans came to the house. Eventually, the Germans leave and all of the people of France are free! This would be a great way to illustrate a read aloud for curricular reasons. This helps shed light on the Holocaust in a small way, it may be a good introduction to a history unit about the world war. There is also an onomatopoeia: when the German soldiers appear at Lisette's house, there is a "CLICK CLACK" to illustrate the stomping of the Germans boots against the dirt on the ground. Overall, this book would be extremely good to use in a third or fourth grade classroom as a read aloud because of the complexity of the situation about the Holocaust.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated book for elementary age students beginning to learn about World War II. Don't forget to read the "authors note" located in an odd place before the dedications in the beginning, which does a nice job of painting the setting and recent events in France.

[Jenny U · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book to help explain to children about WWII and D-Day.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!