When I read the book I could not quite associate what he played with the harmonica music I remembered. Then a cousin sent a video clip of Buddy Greene playing the harmonica at Carnegie Hall. I was overwhelmed. Listening to Buddy Greene is a moving experience.
The illustrations are done by Ron Mazellan. They capture the darkness of the boy's experience. Yet as you look at the illustrations there is a luminous quality about the art work.
This book garnered lots of discussion when I read it to my 6th graders last year. It is not an easy read but lends itself to providing initial background knowledge of the Holocaust. I believe these stories need to be told and discussed.
In 1999 I was deployed for a short tour in Germany and went to to see the Dachau concentration camp. Since then I have worked to find literature that is appropriate for our 5th & 6th grade students. Genocide still takes place - I believe we must work to stop the practice of genocide in all its disguises.
As I look at my stepfathers harmonica I am touched that such an instrument can produce such exquisite music.
