Helen Bate studied architecture and spent ten years working as an architect. Following a career change she went on to obtain a 1st Class degree and MA degree in Children's Illustration. By 2014 she was the winner of the People's Book Prize, Best Achievement Award, for her innovative work with Pictures to Share C.I.C, a Social Enterprise publishing illustrated books for people with dementia. Her first picture book, ABC UK, with James Dunn, was nominated for the Kate Greenway Medal. She is the author and illlustrator of Me and Mrs Moon, a graphic novel exploring dementia and The Creature, a picture storybook, both published by Otter-Barry Books. Helen lives in Shropshire.
"A well as the historical aspect, the book is very relevant to the
situation in many countries today - we need to learn from the past,
and books like this are excellent in helping the younger generation
to understand these issues. It's emotional and dramatic, drawing
the reader in superbly, and is accessible even for reluctant
readers."
*Parents in Touch*
"Illustrated in graphic novel style, with the story told through a
series of images and dialogue with short bursts of text. Although
the events are horrific, there is always a sense of hope and the
reader feels the courage of the Jewish families. It is even more
poignant as at the end of the book we meet Peter and his family as
they are now."
*Books for Topics*
"Because it is told from a young person’s perspective, there is an
ignorance to what is actually happening around him – but from the
action the reader will understand that Peter survived round-ups of
Jewish people by moving hiding places several times, the only
constant being a colouring book; he frequently faces hunger and
cold. Despite the removal of the more harrowing elements of the
Holocaust, the reader will understand that this was a horrific
time, challenging and frightening for even the luckiest child."
*Minerva Reads*
"Moving, accessible and offering a less well-known perspective on
WW11 and the Holocaust, with its skilful balance of illustration
and text, this is definitely a book to include in a primary school
KS2 collection."
*Red Reading Hub*
"Moving and vividly told."
*The Bookseller*
"As Budapest crumbles around him, and Nazis search, seize, and
deport friends and family, Peter and a cousin are moved to several
hideouts in this biographical graphic novel. Juxtaposing the
mundane aspects of life in hiding with the horror of why they have
to hide gives this book its impact."
*School Library Journal*
"The warmth of humanity shines through the story. There are many
great books retelling the experience of WW2 and this is special
because of its graphic format which will capture some who might
find continual text off-putting."
*School Librarian*
"This book, which establishes 'the right to life and to live in
freedom and safety' could not be more pertinent for the current
political climate, not only here in the UK, but also further
afield."
*IBBY Link*
"Even young children will get a sense of what it means to become
the custodian of a memory."
*Jewish Chronicle*
"An engrossing true story...superbly told in graphic format. Words
and pictures are skillfully combined and from the start of this
first person narrative, young readers will identify with
Peter."
*Books for Keeps 5 star review*
"Helen's graphic illustrations are just right for this kind of
book, and should go down well with quite young readers. Let's hope,
too, that they can see the similiarities with what's happening
today in far too many places. If it was wrong then, it's wrong
now."
*Bookwitch*
"A true story about a young Jewish boy...told with amazing depth in
a simpler and effective way. Our teen reviewer was very moved."
*Angels and Urchins*
"Learn, in an accessible way, more about the second world war...a
moving and true story that will make readers think and help them to
understand more about the experience of the war for children of
their own age."
*Armadillo*
"Without a doubt, this is the sort of book that is needed now more
than ever, to educate children about the terrible atrocities of
war, and how ordinary children like themselves became caught up in
the conflict, taken far away from their homes and everything they
knew and loved. At times it's quite a tough read, certainly a title
for older children but it imparts its story with sensitivity and
thought. This is the sort of book we'd truly love to see championed
in schools and libraries."
*Read It, Daddy*
"This moving, true story of the Second World War tells Peter's
story in his own words, accompanied by excellent illustrations
which really convey the sombre feel of the story. Moving and very
effective."
*Parents in Touch*
"This début graphic novel delicately balances the horror of those
war years with a child’s eye view of events, allowing young (and
older) readers to gently explore some of the aspects of the
Holocaust without it becoming overwhelming. There’s a great deal of
humour, and a real sense that children will always be children,
however bad things get, finding ways to make new friends and
creating new games to play even in the darkest hours, thereby
giving us hope for better things to come….Peter’s story is moving
but also funny, horribly sad and sometimes frightening, before a
page turn makes you smile. It is peppered with moments of laughter
and is pitched just right for, say, upper Primary school aged
kids."
*Playing by the Book*
"This is definitely a worthy entry to the non-fiction shelves for
the very young… It's a non-scary but still evocative primer for the
fact that you didn't have to live in Germany to suffer at the hands
of Nazis."
*The Book Bag*
"This moving graphic novel is published in September 2016 and well
worth pre-ordering. Peter is just an ordinary boy, who loves
playing football with his friends and eating cake - until war comes
to his city and the whole family have to go into hiding.."
*The Guardian*
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