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The Cats in Krasinksi Square
The Cats in Krasinski Square. Hesse, Karen; ill. Watson, Wendy; Scholastic Press, 2004.
Grade Level: 3-5
ISBN 0-439-43540-4; $16.95
Author Information:
http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-hesse-karen.asp
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/hesse.htm
http://www.childrenslit.com/f_hesse.html
http://www.henryholtchildrensbooks.com/authordetails.asp?ID=hesse
Illustrator Information:
http://www.author-illustr-source.com/wendywatson.htm
http://www.visitingauthors.com/authors/watson_wendy/watson_wendy_bio.html
General Themes: Warsaw Ghetto Uprising; Holocaust, Jewish-Poland-Warsaw; Sisters; Heroes; Cats; Altruism; Historical Fiction
Synopsis:
In this historical fiction, set in Warsaw, Poland, in 1942, the protagonist and her older sister are Jewish refugees who have escaped from the Warsaw Ghetto. As the sole survivors of their family, the sisters are active participants in the Jewish Resistance Movement whose mission is to smuggle food through crevices in the wall back to their Jewish friends in the Ghetto. With no other friends, the young narrator befriends the abandoned cats in Krasinski Square. The sisters collaborate with other Jews to bring contraband food to their compatriots in the ghetto. To their dismay, members of the Resistance Movement discover that the Gestapo has learned of their plan and will meet the train with police dogs to sniff out the smuggled food and betray the Resistance members. The role of the cats in the story is elevated when the young narrator convinces others that the cats can be loaded into baskets, carried to the train station, and used as a distraction to help their friends.
General Review:
The beauty of this simple, but poetic narrative makes this book an appropriate read for helping younger students understand the courage and wisdom needed as survival skills for Jewish children in Warsaw in the early 1940s. In eloquent and memorable text, the young narrator hides her past, claiming, “I look like any child playing with cats…I wear my Polish look, I walk my Polish walk. Polish words float from my lips, and I am almost safe, almost invisible, moving through Krasinski Square.” While fulfilling a mutual need by befriending the cats, the narrator, wise beyond her years, describes the felines in a metaphor appropriate for the lost lives of the Jewish refugees themselves. “They belonged once to someone. They slept on sofa cushions and ate from crystal dishes. They purred, furrowing the chests, and nuzzling the chins of their beloveds. Now they have no one to kiss their velvety heads.” The illustrations of Wendy Watson contribute a dramatic, yet ethereal enhancement to the story. Borders that resemble the restrictive, intersecting lines of a fence and the Gestapo patrolling the streets with their snarling dogs convey danger but in a manner not graphically disturbing to young readers. Her soft drawings complement, yet add a sense of light and hope to the text. Clearly, Hesse sends children the message that we can always help others in spite of personal adversity. However, the content of this story makes adult-led discussion and guidance necessary. The Author’s Note at the end of the text is a must-read to help students understand and appreciate the historical events on which the story is based.
Discussion Questions: Standard 3, Benchmark 3
- Why are the cats in Krasinksi Square drawn to the girl who is the narrator? Cite the language in the story that tells you this.
- What are the similarities and differences between the narrator and the other children playing in Krasinski Square?
- This is a historical fiction. What event/time period in history is used as the setting for this story? Discuss the following terms: The Wall, The Ghetto, Jewish Resistance Movement, and Gestapo.
- Define “hero.” What makes a person a hero? Make a connection between this story and an event or person that you know about.
Activities:
1. Learn more about the Warsaw Ghetto. Use one print source and one electronic source to identify four key points in chronological order. Create a timeline using Microsoft Word or Kidspiration, labeling the events you have documented. (Standard 3; Benchmark 2)
2. Interview someone you feel has made the world a better place in some way. If possible, invite this person to visit your classroom and speak to the class. Create a photo montage of guests who are your heroes. Challenge your class to perform acts of kindness. Record those on hearts to add to your bulletin board. (Standard 7; Benchmark 1) (Standard 9; Benchmark 2)
3. Locate Warsaw, Poland on a map. Research the continent in which Poland is located, the population of Warsaw, geographic land forms in the area, and the distance to three other major cities: Paris, France; Berlin, Germany; and London, England (three important cities during World War II). (Standard 2; Benchmark 4)
Other books on the holocaust for younger readers:
Ackerman, Karen. Night Crossing. Alfred A. Knopf
Adler, David. A Picture Book of Anne Frank. Holiday House
Innocenti, Roberto. Rose Blanche. Harcourt Brace
Levine, Karen. Hana’s Suitcase. Whitman
Polacco, Patricia. The Butterfly. Penguin Young Readers
Russo, Marisabina. Always Remember Me. Atheneum
Volavkova, Hana. I Never Saw Another Butterfly. Schocken Books
The United States Holocaust Museum’s website has sections for teachers and for students which might be helpful as well:< http://www.ushmm.org>
