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The Promise
The night that Rachel and Toby's parents are taken away by the Nazis, they give their eldest daughter three gold coins. They also ask her to promise that no matter what she and her sister will always stay together. Toby must risk her life and use the well-hidden gold coins to rescue her little sister who becomes sick.
32 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
July 31, 2018
The Promise
is a children’s storybook written by
Pnina Bat Zvi
and
Margie Wolfe,
and illustrated by
Isabelle Cardinal.
It is about the true story of two sisters, Toby and Rachel, who got imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. It is a given fact that the Holocaust period is one of the dreadful events in the history of mankind, and even young kids were the victim of this atrocity.
Toby and Rachel’s story, and their pledge to each other to always together be brilliantly narrated in this book. Regardless of what happened to them in the Auschwitz camp was tremendously horrible; their tale of how they survived to keep their promise is quite fascinating.
A highly commendable read and a great way to introduce kids, as young as ten and below, about what is the Holocaust, Nazi Germany, and the concentration camps during the World War II. There are a lot of moral lessons that kids could pick up after reading this and parents or teachers must carefully explain and point out it to them.
Toby and Rachel’s story, and their pledge to each other to always together be brilliantly narrated in this book. Regardless of what happened to them in the Auschwitz camp was tremendously horrible; their tale of how they survived to keep their promise is quite fascinating.
A highly commendable read and a great way to introduce kids, as young as ten and below, about what is the Holocaust, Nazi Germany, and the concentration camps during the World War II. There are a lot of moral lessons that kids could pick up after reading this and parents or teachers must carefully explain and point out it to them.
February 10, 2020
PROMISIUNEA. Povestea a două surori, prizoniere într-un lagăr de concentrare nazist
O poveste adevărată.
Două surori, Toby și Rachel, două copile, au fost deportate la Auschwitz unde fetele îndură foame, boli și paznici înrăiți cu dulăi turbați, gata de atac la primul ordin. Înainte de plecare, părinții i-au dat fetei mai mari o cutie de tinichea cu 3 galbeni, pentru a-i folosi la nevoie, și au făcut-o să promită că vor rămâne împreună indiferent de circumstanțe.
Au reușit fetele să-și țină promisiunea într-o lume ca Auschwitz, o lume a răului, durerii și pierzaniei?
O poveste adevărată.
Două surori, Toby și Rachel, două copile, au fost deportate la Auschwitz unde fetele îndură foame, boli și paznici înrăiți cu dulăi turbați, gata de atac la primul ordin. Înainte de plecare, părinții i-au dat fetei mai mari o cutie de tinichea cu 3 galbeni, pentru a-i folosi la nevoie, și au făcut-o să promită că vor rămâne împreună indiferent de circumstanțe.
Au reușit fetele să-și țină promisiunea într-o lume ca Auschwitz, o lume a răului, durerii și pierzaniei?
May 16, 2018
On the night that the Nazis took all the adults in their town away, sisters Rachel and Toby are separated from their parents but not before they are given a shoe paste tin with three gold coins in it. Not knowing what is going to happen to them, they are told to use the coins only if they have to, that they would know when the time was right. And most importantly, they must promise to try to always stay together.
Two years later, the sisters are now in Barrack 25 in Auschwitz, along with many other Jewish girls. Every other day, the girls build a wall of heavy fieldstone, and then, they tear it down only to begin again. When a girl gets sick, she is taken to the hospital and never seen again. Everyone in the barrack knows what has happened to her and do their best not to get sick, despite insufficient clothing, food, and bedding in bad weather.
When Rachel becomes ill, there is nothing Toby can do to prevent her from being taken to the hospital while she is working. Discovering Rachel gone when she returns, Toby knows she needs to do something quickly, or she will never see her sister again. Is this the right time to use the gold coins her parents gave them?
Using her wits, some clever planning, some luck, and the gold coins, Toby manages to get Rachel out of the hospital and back to the barrack. But the next day at roll call, she pays dearly for what she has done when the guard sees Rachel on line but not in her roll book. The guard whips Toby on her back with the leash of her dog, but she didn't send Rachel back to the hospital. Both sisters survive the war and walk out of Auschwitz together.
The Promise is a compelling and inspirational picture book for older readers about the importance of keeping promises, of family, and of the strength of sisterly love, particularly under the kinds of circumstances Toby and Rachel found themselves in trying to survive Auschwitz. And although it is a fictionalized biography, it is based on the real life experiences of sisters Toby, mother of author Margie Wolfe, and Rachel, mother of author Pnina Bat Zvi.
The illustrations by Isabella Cardinal are done in a mixed-media of collage and photos together with textural drawings and finished in Photoshop, and really capture the emotions that sisters were feeling, and the anger and hate the guards had for them. The Holocaust was a very dark time in history and the illustrations aptly reflect that.
Holocaust picture books are always a difficult subject for young readers - how much graphic description to include. If too much is included there's the risk that the young reader will be so traumatized by what they read, that they never want to read about the Holocaust again. And although Toby and Rachel, like everyone in a Nazi concentration camp, faced beatings, brutality, starvation, and death everyday, Wolfe and her cousin Bat Zvi have managed to find a balance between the mistreatment and the love and resilience that kept these two sisters fighting for their lives.
The Promise is an important addition to the literature of the Holocaust, especially as it recedes into history. Keeping the Shoah alive by remembering it is so important now.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
Two years later, the sisters are now in Barrack 25 in Auschwitz, along with many other Jewish girls. Every other day, the girls build a wall of heavy fieldstone, and then, they tear it down only to begin again. When a girl gets sick, she is taken to the hospital and never seen again. Everyone in the barrack knows what has happened to her and do their best not to get sick, despite insufficient clothing, food, and bedding in bad weather.
When Rachel becomes ill, there is nothing Toby can do to prevent her from being taken to the hospital while she is working. Discovering Rachel gone when she returns, Toby knows she needs to do something quickly, or she will never see her sister again. Is this the right time to use the gold coins her parents gave them?
Using her wits, some clever planning, some luck, and the gold coins, Toby manages to get Rachel out of the hospital and back to the barrack. But the next day at roll call, she pays dearly for what she has done when the guard sees Rachel on line but not in her roll book. The guard whips Toby on her back with the leash of her dog, but she didn't send Rachel back to the hospital. Both sisters survive the war and walk out of Auschwitz together.
The Promise is a compelling and inspirational picture book for older readers about the importance of keeping promises, of family, and of the strength of sisterly love, particularly under the kinds of circumstances Toby and Rachel found themselves in trying to survive Auschwitz. And although it is a fictionalized biography, it is based on the real life experiences of sisters Toby, mother of author Margie Wolfe, and Rachel, mother of author Pnina Bat Zvi.
The illustrations by Isabella Cardinal are done in a mixed-media of collage and photos together with textural drawings and finished in Photoshop, and really capture the emotions that sisters were feeling, and the anger and hate the guards had for them. The Holocaust was a very dark time in history and the illustrations aptly reflect that.
Holocaust picture books are always a difficult subject for young readers - how much graphic description to include. If too much is included there's the risk that the young reader will be so traumatized by what they read, that they never want to read about the Holocaust again. And although Toby and Rachel, like everyone in a Nazi concentration camp, faced beatings, brutality, starvation, and death everyday, Wolfe and her cousin Bat Zvi have managed to find a balance between the mistreatment and the love and resilience that kept these two sisters fighting for their lives.
The Promise is an important addition to the literature of the Holocaust, especially as it recedes into history. Keeping the Shoah alive by remembering it is so important now.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
February 19, 2020
I've read a lot of Holocaust picture books and many make the horrifying subject more accessible to children, but I had a hard time getting into this one. I wasn't a fan of the illustrations and I thought if a child didn't have any knowledge of the Holocaust, this book would make them more confused.
The story is incredible though.
The story is incredible though.
February 8, 2018
One of the traditions, in Judaism, is to retell the story. This is especially true of the Holocaust. The people who survived it are dying off, as it gets further and further away from the present generation. The stories we are hearing now, are those that are being told by their children and grandchildren. It is good that there is some witness, even though it is once or even twice removed.
You might think we have had enough stories of the holocaust, be they novels or picture books, but each story is different, and each story should be told. This one, of two sisters, who survived the camps, was apparently written by first cousins, who had heard their mothers tell the story often enough that they could tell it as their own.
The pictures, as seen here, are very bleak, but then, so is the story and subject itself.
and here is the picture of the sisters all grown up.
This is a very harsh, but very easy to read book on the holocaust, which would be good in school libraries, as well as public libraries.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
You might think we have had enough stories of the holocaust, be they novels or picture books, but each story is different, and each story should be told. This one, of two sisters, who survived the camps, was apparently written by first cousins, who had heard their mothers tell the story often enough that they could tell it as their own.
The pictures, as seen here, are very bleak, but then, so is the story and subject itself.
and here is the picture of the sisters all grown up.
This is a very harsh, but very easy to read book on the holocaust, which would be good in school libraries, as well as public libraries.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
July 26, 2018
"The Promise" shares both a heartbreaking story when one sees how people, this time children, were treated in the concentration camps, but it’s also a heartwarming true story of how one promise to stay together was made by two sisters and carried out in the face of terrible danger. Before their parents were taken away, they gave the eldest, Toby, three gold coins hidden in a shoe paste tin. And, they asked them to promise to stay together always. In Auschwitz, those who fell ill and could not stand for roll call were often taken away, never seen again. This time, when Rachel became sick and was taken, Toby did what she knew she had to do, she used those coins to bribe a guard in order to enter the sick barracks and find Rachel. It also includes a small part about others who were with these two. The story is based on a true story, written by Pnina Bat Zvi, Rachel’s daughter and Margie Wolfe, Toby’s daughter. There is powerful truth in the illustrations by Isabelle Cardinal, who uses human faces in her digital collages. It’s a book for older kids, one that can be part of any study of the Holocaust. There is further information in the backmatter.
February 24, 2018
The Promise is a wonderful read, perfect for introducing young children to the reality of the Holocaust. Put beside beautiful illustrations, it would capture the attention of any young reader. There is always a fine balance between too much and not enough in children's fiction about delicate subjects such as the Holocaust, but The Promise is masterfully handled and toes that balance marvellously. The icing on the cake is that this was based on a true story!
Thank you to Net Galley and Second Story Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review!
Thank you to Net Galley and Second Story Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review!
September 7, 2019
I read & evaluated this book for the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable (VCLR)'s 2019 Information Book Award.
What a beautiful story. I was a tad confused though regarding the sources of information. It seems the author was told this story by their mother, and a photograph of the sisters is included in the epilogue but there is no indication of the source of the photo. The mixed media illustrations were neat, but also felt a bit "off."
What a beautiful story. I was a tad confused though regarding the sources of information. It seems the author was told this story by their mother, and a photograph of the sisters is included in the epilogue but there is no indication of the source of the photo. The mixed media illustrations were neat, but also felt a bit "off."
July 27, 2018
I love book about the Holocause and feel that it is an important topic to understand and discuss. This book was an amazing story, but it was told in such a blunt way that it did not engage me as a reader. I also was not fond of the illustrations. I couldn't tell if the illustrator was trying to engage actual photography with the drawings, but it didn't appeal to me much.
July 31, 2019
A harrowing story about two sisters who vow to their mother to try to stay together no matter what in Auschwitz. Mother gives them gold coins in case of an emergency. The youngest gets sick and is sent to a sick barracks where people disappear and never came back. The older sister decides to use the coins to bribe her way into the dick barracks.
March 9, 2018
Short story/picture book written for children (and based on a true story) set during the holocaust. Hard hitting topic told in a very accessible way for littlies, although not TOO little because of said topic! Ugh, the illustrations though. I'm sorry, just ugly and jarring :(
December 5, 2018
I didn't really feel like children would understand the story. It seemed a little too complicated for an 8 year old. I didn't really love the illustrations. This one was just okay.
February 15, 2020
Rachel and Toby were sisters, prisoners in Auschwitz. Their parents had given them three gold coins, which Toby used to save Rachel's life. I disliked the distorted pictures of the people, although the faces were touching.
March 31, 2025
A heartwarming true story about Jewish sisters and a miracle they survived Auschwitz, written by relatives of theirs
August 22, 2019
This title is nominated for the 2020 Hackmatack Award in the non-fiction category. Based on the true story of sisters Toby and Rachel and their experience at Auschwitz concentration camp, this picture book feels like it is a little bit light compared to other books I have read in past years. In fact, I came across another review which mentioned that the target audience is ages 7-10 (Hackmatack is for kids ages 9-12). It might seem young to kids at the older end of the hackmatack scale, HOWEVER due to the subject matter, I think that the argument can be made for including this title with the nominees. The illustrations appear to be photo realistic, and the dark colours convey how sad and depressing the war was/is. I think that this is a book that could open up a conversation about the horrors of WWII, and adults should be prepared for a discussion after this book. I was disappointed that the epilogue did not go into any more detail abou Toby and Rachel - what happened after the war? Were they grown up by then, or were they still kids? Where did they live? So many questions! Not to mention the fact that there is no overview or explanation of what a concentration camp or holocaust even are. This could be pretty confusing to a kid who is just beginning to explore that type of subject. I would recommend this for young kids just beginning to learn about world history / war, with the caveat that they read it with a parent or other adult.
February 19, 2018
What a heartwarming little tale about love. A simple message about love that it never fails during difficult time. Great story but I think the illustration is a little creepy but the text is excellent: simple yet powerful, poignant and sublime.
A great introductory book to children about Nazi, concentration camps and Holocaust.
E-gallery is provided by Second Story Press via Netgallery. Second Story Press continues to deliver high quality reading materials for both adults and children. This is a great press that worth checking out.
A great introductory book to children about Nazi, concentration camps and Holocaust.
E-gallery is provided by Second Story Press via Netgallery. Second Story Press continues to deliver high quality reading materials for both adults and children. This is a great press that worth checking out.
November 3, 2018
Really beautiful book and interesting story line but I found the illustrations a little strange and the ending I felt was very rushed. But I do believe it is a good book to read and is a very dense book that contains very deep morals.
August 2, 2019
What a great book to introduce the concentration camps of the Holocaust without traumatizing young kids! My 6 yo daughter loves this book and my 4 yo son was asking questions that really opened up their eyes to history. It is a sweet story and one worth adding to your collection!
June 19, 2018
Incredible story, but I did not like the art at all. The oversized heads combined with realistic bodies in particular.
February 6, 2018
*thank you to Netgalley and Second Story Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
4 stars.
This is the first children's picture book based on the Holocaust and Auschwitz that I've seen and read. To write and illustrate a book such as this for children needs to be done well and right. I believe that given the horrendous and emotional topic, there is a fine line between just how much to mention to such a young audience, but this story was very well told. It focused on the love between the two sisters Rachel and Toby while staying true to the events and cruelty of what it was like inside the camp without overly doing it. At first I will admit I wasn't a fan of the artwork, but by the end of the book, I can see now that it actually fits pretty perfectly with the story. You dont want the whole cute, beautiful and colourful illustrations you see in most childrens books because this story is not your typical childrens book. It is a story of a very dark time and the illustrations show that. Based on a true story, this is defiantly one book I would recommend. I really enjoyed seeing the pictures in the back of the real-life sisters and hearing that they remained so close throughout their lives.
4 stars.
This is the first children's picture book based on the Holocaust and Auschwitz that I've seen and read. To write and illustrate a book such as this for children needs to be done well and right. I believe that given the horrendous and emotional topic, there is a fine line between just how much to mention to such a young audience, but this story was very well told. It focused on the love between the two sisters Rachel and Toby while staying true to the events and cruelty of what it was like inside the camp without overly doing it. At first I will admit I wasn't a fan of the artwork, but by the end of the book, I can see now that it actually fits pretty perfectly with the story. You dont want the whole cute, beautiful and colourful illustrations you see in most childrens books because this story is not your typical childrens book. It is a story of a very dark time and the illustrations show that. Based on a true story, this is defiantly one book I would recommend. I really enjoyed seeing the pictures in the back of the real-life sisters and hearing that they remained so close throughout their lives.
March 12, 2018
Based on a true story of sibling love and loyalty and the importance of a promise, this picture book even features photographs of the real-life sisters who somehow survived the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust. All Rachel and Toby have of their parents is three gold coins secreted in a shoe paste tin and the admonition to use them only when they must. When Rachel becomes ill and is moved from the barracks where the girls are staying, Toby comes up with a plan to rescue her sister, and the coins finally come in handy just in the nick of time. Although Toby pays for her efforts with a savage beating, the Nazi guard does not make Rachel go back to the infirmary or further punish either sister. Readers won't be blamed for wondering if somehow this sisterly love softened the heart of the guard. I'd never heard this story or anything quite like it before, and was touched by it as well as being moved emotionally by the somber artwork, which contains collage cutouts of various characters set against a bleak backdrop. Even young readers might wonder what they'd do for their brother, sister or other family member and why such sacrifice and courage were needed.
October 5, 2018
First sentence: Rachel pulled herself out of her happy dream. In her sleep she was free to be with her friends and go to school. But now, the gong announced the beginning of another day in Auschwitz prison camp.
Premise/plot: Toby and Rachel are sisters held together by love and a promise: to stay together no matter what. Can these two sisters keep that promise even in Auschwitz? Is the promise worth risking everything for?
My thoughts: What an emotional story! The Promise is a nonfiction picture book for older readers. It is NOT for young readers, in my opinion. Of course one could ask when is the right age--the appropriate time--to introduce the subject of the Holocaust to children. I do think it's something that must be taught, shared. Those voices--in particular nonfiction--deserve to be heard in every generation.
There are a few picture books set during the Holocaust or World War II. But there aren't all that many. I do think it's worth reading.
Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10
Premise/plot: Toby and Rachel are sisters held together by love and a promise: to stay together no matter what. Can these two sisters keep that promise even in Auschwitz? Is the promise worth risking everything for?
My thoughts: What an emotional story! The Promise is a nonfiction picture book for older readers. It is NOT for young readers, in my opinion. Of course one could ask when is the right age--the appropriate time--to introduce the subject of the Holocaust to children. I do think it's something that must be taught, shared. Those voices--in particular nonfiction--deserve to be heard in every generation.
There are a few picture books set during the Holocaust or World War II. But there aren't all that many. I do think it's worth reading.
Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10
March 22, 2018
The Promise
by Pnina Bat Zvi and Margie Wolfe, illustrated by Isabelle Cardinal
Second Story Press
Children's Nonfiction
Pub Date 18 Apr 2018
I am reviewing a copy of The Promise through Second Story Press and Netgalley:
The night Rachel and Toby's parents were taken away their parents gave them three gold coins with the instructions use them to help save lives. They also ask the girls to promise they will stay together forever (because they have a better chance of surviving together.
This is a compelling true story with beautiful illustrations to help introduce young children to these two sisters and the horrors they face in Auschwitz , protecting one another, sharing memories fears and even laughter despite the horrible living conditions. When Rachel becomes ill and is taken by the Nazi guards likely never to be seen again. Toby risks her life in order to use the gold coins to save Rachel's life.
I give The Promise five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
May 15, 2018
The Promise by Pnina Zvi and Margie Wolfe, illustrated by Isabelle Cardinal. PICTURE BOOK. Second Story Press, 2018. $19. 9781772600582
EL, MS – ESSENTIAL.
Before Toby and Rachel’s parents were taken away by the German soldiers, they slipped a small tin can with three gold coins hidden in it to Toby, telling her she would know when to use them. The girls are taken to Auschwitz, where they managed to stay together until Rachel gets sick. Toby will need those three coins to save her sister’s life.
The author’s of this book are cousins, daughters of Toby and Rachel. I love that they are still more true stories of the Holocaust being told. I don’t think there can ever be enough. If no one teaches about the Holocaust in your school, then make these stories easy for your students to find on their own.
Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
EL, MS – ESSENTIAL.
Before Toby and Rachel’s parents were taken away by the German soldiers, they slipped a small tin can with three gold coins hidden in it to Toby, telling her she would know when to use them. The girls are taken to Auschwitz, where they managed to stay together until Rachel gets sick. Toby will need those three coins to save her sister’s life.
The author’s of this book are cousins, daughters of Toby and Rachel. I love that they are still more true stories of the Holocaust being told. I don’t think there can ever be enough. If no one teaches about the Holocaust in your school, then make these stories easy for your students to find on their own.
Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
February 20, 2018
Four stars for a quick read for the under-twelves concerning two sisters in Auschwitz, and the legacy that will help them stay together. It clearly benefits from being a true story, told with heartfelt compassion, and it's also commendable that all the characters are female, from the heroic sisters down to the guards. What I took issue with was the artwork - yes, I know it's an ugly place, and all the people in there were dehumanised, but did the collage effect have to make everyone so unpleasant-looking? Still, if your child can cope with a lot of words on just a few heavily-illustrated pages, then I'd go for this book.
September 11, 2019
Children's books about the Holocaust are difficult. They deal with a complex, horrific topic and it is only natural that they might be darker in nature as were the experiences of the people during this time period that the books share. This book has been recommended for kids in 2nd - 8th grade. For younger readers, I would definitely say that it is a book that should be read with someone knowledgable about what happened during this period so the readers can process this and have questions answered. The illustrations in this book with the near photo reality of the people and the dog, make it scarier and more real.
August 5, 2020
Heartwrenching and disturbing.
This was an interesting, but a hard read. Two sisters defied the odds, and managed to stay together during their time in Auschwitz. The gold coins they were given by their parents were used to smuggle her sister out of the sick cabin, and back to their own.
A quick read, but well worth it!
This was an interesting, but a hard read. Two sisters defied the odds, and managed to stay together during their time in Auschwitz. The gold coins they were given by their parents were used to smuggle her sister out of the sick cabin, and back to their own.
A quick read, but well worth it!
March 4, 2018
The true story of two sisters who face the dangers of Auschwitz. When the worst thing possible happens, Rachel becomes sick, the girls are separated. Toby risks a secret and her life to save her sister. Delicately told, this is a story of war and courage and love.
June 7, 2018
Beautiful story about sisters sacrificing and risking their lives for each other in a Nazi prison camp. Unlike many Nazi stories, this one had a hopeful ending. Being a sister, the ending brought shivers and tears to my eyes. The end shows a picture of the real sisters from the book.
July 10, 2023
I read this book with my eight-year-old son. He was deeply touched by the story and was overjoyed to learn that Toby and Rachel were real people who survived. We need to read books like this to our children to educate the new generations and fight against Holocaust deniers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews