In My Pocket

by Dorrith M. Sim

Told in a child's voice, this story of a young German-Jewish girl who, in 1939, is carried to a new, safe life in a foreign country transcends time and offers an immediate, intimate glimpse into a world on the brink of war.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1997

Reviews

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

In My Pocket by Dorrith M. Sim, Illustrator Gerald Fitzgerald- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story related to July, year 1939. During Second World War in Germany Jews are facing genocide. Jews plan to send their children to families in United Kingdom to families who are prepared to adopt Jewish children. The story has been narrated by the author herself. Their daughter has been chosen by a Scottish couple for adoption. In Yiddish she calls her parents Mutti and Vati. First part of the journey is from an unknown part of Germany to Hamburg by ship. Second part is from Hamburg to Amsterdam by train, third part is from Amsterdam to London by ship and train. Because of eagerness and anxiety, the children did not have breakfast in the morning. In Holland they are taken to a farm where they are fed with chocolate bars and milk and sing to their helpers. They sing the song "One song was about a mermaid". The adult chaperones are absent from both text and art, an omission that amplifies just how defenseless and bereft the children must have felt. When the girl arrives in London, she is met at the train station by a couple who recognize her from a photograph, and she greets them with the only English words she knows: ""I have a handkerchief in my pocket."" Henceforth she uses that sentence to reinforce all new words "I have a dog in my pocket", but the phrase takes on special significance when she receives a single letter from her parents and keeps it in her pocket ""until there was no more war."" Illustrator heavily textured oil paintings, the thick strokes reinforcing the strong lines of the story and the broadly rendered compositions also suggesting that parts have been left out. An author's note explains that after the war, Sim had to wait ""a long time"" for news of her parents; that news, undoubtedly tragic, is not reprinted here, but its weight informs this moving story. In Scotland, there is no discrimination. She mixes up with all children and plays. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes it can be difficult to find books that are gentle enough to begin introducing WWII history to younger children. This one is over 25 years old, but only has a single review on Goodreads, so far. Its lack of attention is unfortunate, since this is a resource that not only fills that need, but does so with the author's own story of traveling at age 7 1/2 by ship from Germany to Holland, and finally on to England on a kinder transport in 1939. There she was taken in by a couple who had agreed ahead of time to care for her. Living in Germany as a Jewish person was no longer safe. The full bleed color illustrations are lovely.