Review by Booklist Review
In this age-appropriate Holocaust story, Jewish siblings Rudi and Lotte escape from Nazi Germany to London on a Kindertransport and are placed with British families. Rudi's parents arrange for his dachshund, Hanno, to be transported separately, and boy and pooch are reunited after a six-month quarantine period. Rudi is adjusting to his new life with Aunt Irene and Uncle Don until Britain declares war on Germany, resulting in another placement away from London and a nationwide effort to exterminate all pets including Hanno by Brits fearing starvation. Halahmy's novel introduces readers to a little-known facet of the war that saw some 750,000 UK pets put down in the opening days of WWII. Nine-year-old Rudi's understanding of the world around him is somewhat limited, and his experiences with his kindly guardians are correspondingly naive. Sixteen-year-old Lotte, on the other hand, becomes a poorly paid servant to her rescuing family, stifling her dreams of higher education. While there's no real closure for the human characters here, Hanno's rescue by a wealthy British woman will please young readers.--Kay Weisman Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
Nine-year-old Rudi escapes Nazi Germany on a Kindertransport to England. Rudi finds a way to smuggle his beloved pet dachshund Hanno into England, where British citizens are euthanizing their pets ahead of the inevitable bombings. But Rudi, with the help of like-minded new friends, is determined to save his pet. Even though the telling feels rushed, this is an readable and touching WWII story. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
