Mister Doctor by Irène Cohen-Janca

Mister Doctor by Irène Cohen-Janca; illus by Maurizio A.C. Quarello
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hardcover, 68 pages
Published February 10th 2015 by Annick Press
Source: egalley via netgalley


A sad, depressing tale for a children's picture book but a story that must live through the ages and never be forgotten. The Warsaw Ghetto was an abomination, pure and simple. This book takes a look at a group of ill-fated orphans who had the fortune to be housed with Polish hero Janusz Korczak when they were sent to the Warsaw Ghetto. The book presents the horrors of The Ghetto, toned down for age appropriateness but not holding back on the truth. We see the heroism of Mister Doctor as the children called Korczak and how perhaps he managed to make their short life a little less hard or mayhap a little more bright. The drawings done in yellows and browns are very atmospheric and the book end with an afterword "About Janusz Korczak" which briefly details his life story. Well done. Appropriate for middle grades and up, otherwise will depend on sensitiveness of individual reader.