Stone Angel

Written by Jane Yolen and Katie May Green

Narrated by Rachel Botchan

In this emotionally rich story, a little girl and her family live happily in Paris until Nazi soldiers arrive druing World War II. She and her family must flee or risk being sent to a concentration camp, so they run into the woods, where they meet resistance fighters. But they're still not safe. They must cross tall mountains and sail in a rickety boat to England. Yet the whole time they're struggling to survive, the little girl thinks of the stone angel near their apartment in Paris and imagines it watching over her family. Offering a never-before-told story of the Holocaust, Jane Yolen returns to the material she mined in the award-winning THE DEVIL'S ARITHMETIC. Filled with sorrow, hope, comfort, and triumph, this gorgeously illustrated book is sure to become a modern classic-offering adults a perfect vehicle with which to share a difficult subject.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490684048

Jane Yolen

Jane has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of America and the Aesop of the twentieth century. She sets the highest standard for the industry, not only in the meaningful body of work she has created, but also in her support of fellow authors and artists. Her books range from the bestselling How Do Dinosaurs series to the Caldecott winning Owl Moon to popular novels such as The Devil’s Arithmetic, Snow in Summer, and The Young Merlin Trilogy, to award-winning books of poetry such as Grumbles from the Forest, and A Mirror to Nature. In all, she has written over 335 books (she’s lost count), won numerous awards (one even set her good coat on fire), and has been given six honorary doctorates in literature. For more information, please visit www.janeyolen.com. 

Reviews for Stone Angel

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A young girl and her brother Aron are happy in Paris. They follow the streets to their favorite bakery, and purchase their favorite treat each day.Now, the brown shirts are in the city. The bad men mean to harm and make no mistake about it, they mean business when they insist that her family, and all Jews must wear the yellow star.Losing his job, her father knows they must flee, hurry, hurry before it is too late. And, now, gathering their precious children, they run to the forest. When it feels uncomfortable, they run deeper in he woods. Finding others who are also fleeing, they build a community that shares food. When Papa goes out of the forest with nine others, only three return. This, then is a sign to flee more and more. Now, it is winter and they must travel over the mountains, then more mountains as they head to Spain. Then from Spain, a boat takes them to England to live with a relative.Finally, when it is over and the little girl and her family miraculously arrive back in Paris, alive, they little girl knows that the stone angel that stands on their building was with them throughout the entire time and protected them.Jane Yolen never disappoints. Once again, a very deep subject is framed in fear and then hope. Four Stars.

[melodyreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

WWII, author's notes gently explain it is true.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting, unusual Holocaust story with an ending that resolves too neatly. I'm confused about the girl describing the soldiers marching down the street wearing brown shirts. It was the Nazi party storm troopers who were infamous as "brown shirts," not the Wehrmacht soldiers (gray uniforms) or the SS (black) who the girl would have seen in the streets of Paris. This seems to be a historical inaccuracy.