Hope Anita Smith received a Coretta Scott King Honor for Keeping the Night Watch and the John Steptoe New Talent Award for The Way a Door Closes, among many other honors and starred reviews. She is also the author of Mother Poems and the creator of My Daddy Rules the World and Keeping the Night Watch, respectively. Her first picture book, My Daddy Rules the World, won the Arnold Adoff Poetry Award. A professional storyteller, Hope teaches poetry-writing workshops to all grade levels. hopeanitasmith.com Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet is the co-founder of Digital TAT2, a non-profit that works directly with students to encourage a kinder digital culture. Gloria is the daughter of Holocaust survivor Moishe Moskowitz.
A Parents Choice Magazine Gold Award Winner A Kirkus Best Book of the Year An NCTE Notable Verse Novel An ALSC Notable Children's Book An ALA Notable Book for Young Readers A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year Moishe's daughter provides the story, as told to her by her father, and entrusts Smith to pen poems that strike at the heart of each moment, each fear, each horror and make it personal for readers even as time erases witnesses. A deeply moving, beautifully written portrayal of an evil that cannot be allowed to be forgotten. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review First person spare, eloquent verse . . . Occasional watercolor wash sketches complement the poems, adding a memorable visual dimension. An author's note by Moskowitz-Sweet tells more about her late father Moishe, on whose memories this novel is based. --Horn Book Smith's spare verse propels readers swiftly through the story . . . Readers intimidated by denser prose may appreciate the understatement in this poetic account. Small black and white vignettes add visual impact . . . a moving prose note from Moskowitz-Sweet concludes the book. --The Bulletin Smith's short, evocative poems highlight significant incidents from Moishe's perspective as he survives against nearly impossible odds. Lyon's sepia-toned art depicts the story's many emotions, especially the fear and loneliness that are Moishe's constant companions. --Booklist