Sunday, March 20, 2011

The Grand Mosque of Paris


The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Saved Jews During the Holocaust
by Karen Gray Ruelle and Deborah Durland DeSaix

From School Library Journal
The authors of Hidden on the Mountain: Stories of Children Sheltered from the Nazis in Le Chambon (Holiday House, 2007) return to France to uncover a little-known story. While they admit that "many of the details are destined to remain forever uncertain, with few facts proven to a historian's satisfaction," Ruelle and DeSaix feel strongly that the bits and pieces of information that they were able to unearth provide convincing evidence that the Muslims of the Grand Mosque of Paris saved Jewish lives. While the format and appearance of this title are similar to other picture books of rescue and resistance during the Holocaust, such as Carmen Agra Deedy's The Yellow Star (Peachtree, 2000) and Ken Mochizuki's Passage to Freedom (Lee & Low, 1997), the text provides more of a descriptive history of events than a retelling of a story. The oil-paint spreads are luminous and beautiful, but they belie the tone of the writing and the presentation of facts. Regardless, this well-researched book belongs on the shelves of most libraries.

This book was an inspiring and relatively unknown story. The illustrations are in cool colors that reflect the seriousness of the times. What I love most is that is shows what a gentle, caring, and peaceful group the Muslim community really is. It seems that the Muslim religion is seen in such a negative light from Muslim extremist that dominate the news. This book would be an excellent addition to any upper elementary lessons on World War II and the Holocaust.

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