Description

Author Jacob Sager Weinstein and New York Times bestselling illustrator Eliza Wheeler deliver a stunning picture book about a young Jewish girl fleeing Nazi occupation with her parents. Drawing on the childhood experiences of the author’s mother, this story of family, immigration, and identity shows the boundless power of love.

Vienna, Austria, is the only home Rosa knows. While her parents work at their store, she plays with her grandmother, reads her favorite books, and climbs trees. But when the Nazis arrive in 1938, everything changes.

Rosa’s family is Jewish, and the Nazis’ new laws make it dangerous for Jews to live in Vienna. Rosa’s parents can no longer run their store. Soon, some Jews decide to leave the country, and Rosa wants to go, too. But where would they go? And what would Rosa be able to bring with her?

About the Author

Jacob Sager Weinstein grew up hearing the story of his family’s escape from Nazi-occupied Vienna. His other books for children include Princess Unlimited and Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian. He has also written for the New Yorker and the BBC. You can visit him at jacobsagerweinstein.com.

Eliza Wheeler has illustrated numerous books for children and is the illustrator-author of the New York Times bestseller Miss Maple’s Seeds. The telling of her own grandmother’s childhood story in her picture book Home in the Woods ignited a passion for the process of capturing family stories and doing historical visual research, and she was honored to be invited to help Jacob capture his mother’s childhood story through pictures for What Rosa Brought. Eliza lives with her husband near the lakes of Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can find her online at wheelerstudio.com.

Praise For…

"This book, so beautifully written and gloriously illustrated, is one to carry in your heart. A powerful story for young readers about difficult themes that will prompt long conversations about a past that we must never ever forget.” — R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder and White Bird

"A poignant story about injustice, impossible choices, and immigrant hope.” — Andrea Wang, Newbery Honor author of Watercress

“This true story of the Holocaust is a heart-rending tale of the dangers children face, and a hopeful reminder of how creativity and love have the capacity to carry them forward.”  — Laurel Snyder, Sydney Taylor Medal-winning author of The Longest Night

“Heartrending, tender, and eye-opening.”  — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This is an affecting, touching portrayal of a Jewish family’s experiences during the onset of WWII, through hardships and uncertainties, to finding resilience and hope.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Sager Weinstein bases the story on family experiences, per a concluding author’s note that reminds readers that every person saved from catastrophe also saves future generations.”  — Publishers Weekly

“Sparingly narrated, every word perfectly judged, the tale holds a pent-up emotional punch. Eliza Wheeler’s illustrations are exquisitely detailed, from the street scenes of Vienna to the ghostly patches on the wallpaper left by Rosa’s family’s possessions when they flee, and a magical final spread incorporating Yiddish.”  — The Jewish Chronicle