The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Barker, Michelle

A Year of Borrowed Men

40 pp. | Pajama | April, 2016 | Trade ISBN 978-1-92748-583-5 $18.95

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Renné Benoit. Three French prisoners of war arrive to work on seven-year-old Gerda's family farm. The story, based on Barker's mother's childhood in WWII Germany, is told in simple, conversational phrases. Benoit's illustrations combine precise details with softness and warmth that convey the tenderness of memory. The book raises interesting questions, such as the complicated idea of who is an "enemy." A closing note and photographs are included.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2016