Tomek Bogacki,
The Champion of Children: The Story of Janusz Korczak
Frances Foster Books: Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2009.

Ages 5+

In this poignant and beautiful picture book, Tomek Bogacki, the illustrator and sometimes author of more than 40 picture books, pays homage to his lifelong hero. One of the twentieth century’s strongest advocates for children’s rights and one of the holocaust’s most tragic victims, Janusz Korczak, who had served as a doctor in three wars, was thrilled when asked to be the director of a Jewish orphanage in Warsaw.  He gave up his medical practice and devoted himself to learning all he could about orphanages so that he could design a place where children would not merely be cared for but would thrive. 

When the famous orphanage on Krochmalna Street opened in 1912, Korczak began caring for children in an unprecedented way. The children governed themselves, electing a parliament and creating the rules that everyone – even Korczak and the staff – had to follow.  Korczak thought of his work at the orphanage as forming a very big family.  The children learned to be self-sufficient and caring and did indeed thrive.  Korczak gained notoriety for his work at the orphanage and wrote several books, both for children and for adults (about children) during this time.  His success led to him being asked to head another orphanage, this time for the children of Polish workers. Korczak readily agreed, always eager to help children and improve the lives of the least fortunate.

Though Korczak was a trusted authority who even came on the radio to comfort children and adults in the first days of World War II, he was soon told to move his orphanage from Krochmalna Street into the Jewish ghetto.  He did so, moving with his children and continuing the atmosphere of love and respect inside much smaller quarters with even more children and scarcer resources.  Korczak always stood by his orphans, maintaining his ideals of protecting them and improving their lives.  In August of 1942, despite many invitations to save himself, Korczak marched with his orphans to the train that would lead them all to their deaths in the Treblinka camp a few days later.

Though Korczak’s life ended tragically, Bogacki paints a full and loving picture of the man, making his story meaningful to younger readers without overwhelming them, and reminding older readers that the legacy of his work and philosophies should always continue to benefit children everywhere.

Abigail Sawyer
May 2010