Shulevitz describes his experiences during and after World War II in a narrative recounting his life from age four to young teenager. During that time, he and his parents, Jews, fled Poland for Russia, ending up in a work camp in Siberia. When they were released from the camp they made their way south, eventually settling in Turkestan for the duration of the war. After the war they went first to a displaced person camp in Germany and then to France before immigrating to Israel. Hunger is a recurring theme; even with all his parents did to try to feed and protect him, his longing for food was constant. While the narrative tone is not childlike, it is written with a remarkable matter-of-factness that captures the sense of a child witnessing, experiencing, and describing events that he doesn't always fully comprehend (and in some cases, still doesn't today). The many wonderful visual elements incorporated throughout include stick figures echoing his early childhood works to drawings and sketches that show his development as a young artist to graphic panels with dialogue. There are also a handful of photographs. Larger-than-typical typeface makes for a hefty but accessible volume. (Age 11 and older)

Winner of the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Illustrated Books for Older Readers
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2020
A New York Times Best Children's Book of 2020
Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020
Booklist Best Books of 2020
Horn Book Fanfare 2020 Booklist
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best 2020
Jewish Journal Twenty of the Best 2020 (Non-Holiday) Jewish Books for Kids
A National Jewish Book Award 2020 Finalist for Middle Grade Fiction
A 2021 Golden Dome Book Award Selection

“Harrowing, engaging and utterly honest.” —Elizabeth Wein, The New York Times Book Review
“A captivating chronicle of eight turbulent years.” —The Wall Street Journal

From a beloved voice in children’s literature comes this landmark memoir of hope amid harrowing times and an engaging and unusual Holocaust story.

With backlist sales of over 2.3 million copies, Uri Shulevitz, one of Farrar, Straus and Giroux’s most acclaimed picture-book creators, details the eight-year odyssey of how he and his Jewish family escaped the terrors of the Nazis by fleeing Warsaw for the Soviet Union in Chance.

It was during those years, with threats at every turn, that the young Uri experienced his awakening as an artist, an experience that played a key role during this difficult time. By turns dreamlike and nightmarish, this heavily illustrated account of determination, courage, family loyalty, and the luck of coincidence is a true publishing event.