Rachel Hausfater

A young Jewish boy is given a star to wear. At first he is proud of the decoration, but soon finds the star overshadowing him--no one sees the boy, only the star. Lonely, frightened, and helpless, he watches as other star-wearers are led away into the night. This affecting allegory, rich with symbolism, educates children about the events of the Holocaust in a way that young minds can easily grasp. Told in simple, poetic language, the book offers a tender message of tolerance and inner strength.Olivier Latyk's haunting illustrations underscore the poignant theme.… (mere)

This is a metaphorical picture book of a young Jewish boy living in Nazi Germany. The boy is labeled a “star” and he is proud to be one. He does not realize that being forced to wear a yellow Jewish star is in fact a death sentence for most Jews. As time goes on he becomes ashamed to be a star. He watches other “star-wearers” being taken away by the “star hungers” and never to be seen again.
Even though this is a children’s book, the strong symbolism and metaphorical use is a great way to educate even middle school children about the events of the Holocaust. There is a lot that can be learned from simple language.

With this book, I would have a class discussion about the symbolism used and what the students think the metaphors are used for. Optional conclusion to the lesson would be to have the students write their own short poem or story relating to the Holocaust, but using metaphors and symbolism.… (mere)