Bear and Fred: A World War II Story

“Translated from Hebrew, it reads seamlessly and beautifully presents a family caught up in war…Without in any manner diminishing the actual horrors of World War II or any current fighting, the author enables a child to grasp in some small manner the impact of conflict on a family. Moving and accessible.”―Kirkus Reviews“

Bear and Fred: A World War II Storytells the moving history of the real-life Fred Lessing during the Holocaust…Books such as this are important.”―Global Literature in Libraries Initiative

“This compelling picture book delivers the lack of understanding by an innocent boy, Fred, who suffers without his family for reasons he does not know; the painful loneliness and fear of a child hiding; and the unease of an ugly world. His toy bear saves him. In a magnificent tour de force the bear tells this story, never straying from what Fred sees and hears, never explaining more than the mystified boy discovers…the illustrations capture the dark times and the depression, contrasting these with the joy of being with his grandfather. Here is a deeply moving history lesson about a horrible time without the horror.”―Association of Jewish Libraries

Iris Argaman is the author of a number of books for children, including Bear and Fred, which was awarded the Yad Vashem Prize in Israel and the Giovanni Arpino Prize for Children’s Literature in Italy. She lives in Israel, where she is a lecturer on children’s literature, holds writing workshops, and writes activity books which promote museum education.

Avi Ofer is an illustrator and animation director born and raised in Israel and now based in Spain. His work has been exhibited in art shows and screened in festivals around the world. His illustrated books include A Queen in Jerusalem and A Concert in the Sand, both written by Tami Shem-Tov and Rachella Sandback, among other titles. Learn more online at www.aviofer.com.

Annette Appel is a translator of books for young readers and truly enjoys the challenge of making stories written in Hebrew accessible to English speakers. Annette grew up in Oak Park, Michigan, and now lives with her family on a kibbutz in northern Israel.