I never saw another butterfly…

I bought this strangely beautiful book from a second hand bookshop in Nottingham. I picked it up thinking that it was just a nice children's book, that my wife might like. Infact it's a book of children's drawings and poems from Theresienstadt Concentration Camp.

The jacket notes tell a terribly sad story of the 15,000 children under the age of 15 that passed through the camp. Theresienstadt served as a kind of way station to Auschwitz and other extermination centres, so its inhabitants were condemned in advance to die.

The drawings and poems represent what the children experienced but, perhaps surprisingly, not just the endless queues, funeral carts, executions and shouts of the SS men; they tell of meadows and hills, birds and butterflies and even, "...princesses with coronets, wizards and witches, insects with human faces, a land of happiness with cookies, candy and soda pop".

To be honest, it's a difficult, powerful read.

Comments

[Amy]

Wow - I'd say that would be difficult to read. Thank you for sharing.

[Tay]

I did a project about this book. And not some boring report. I had to create a butterfly symbolizing a poem in this book. But while scanning through the poems, I found a poem called At Terezin. I felt a slight connection to it like it was me in that ghetto...

[Richard]

Thanks for the comment Tay. It's a powerful book. Beautiful and ugly at the same time.

[ACHIM]

I found "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" here on your site while checking the internet for some information about the Children of Terezin. And that brought that irresistible wish to me to OWN this original first edition! And happily: I got it from America today!!

It all came from this: I have a book about Friedl Dicker-Brandeis in my library. She was the BAUHAUS-Teacher of that Terezin-Children. And was murdered like them all at Auschwitz... I one day read in this book again and wanted to know MORE about! http://www.sharat.co.il/lel/friedl/home.html

That's what I wanted to tell you. And: your website is BRILLIANT!! Best wishes from ACHIM

[Richard]

Thanks for a great comment. Glad you found that amazing book.

[ACHIM]

Hello Richard, it is me once again, ACHIM from Germany. Just as I posted my comment the link about Friedl Dicker-Brandeis was out of order! Don't know why. If it is possible for you, you may please change it: I found another interesting one:
http://www.sgiquarterly.org/english/Features/quarterly/0207/artsed.htm

Best wishes ACHIM

[Karen]

Hello, My name is Karen and I am 13 years old. I am currently working on a holocaust history project. I am focusing on the children and my teacher recommended this book to me. The pictures and poems were very sad. But, I liked the voice in them. The book really touched my heart!

[Richard]

Hi Karen. It's an amazing book. Beautifully made but heart breaking. I presume you have a copy but, if by chance you haven't, I'd be happy to scan pages for you.

[Kimberly]

This is the first book I remember crying about.