Staff Pick
Why risk marring the view of heroine Anne Frank with a graphic novel depiction of her two-year ordeal hiding from the Nazis? It's a gamble; the subject is so serious, and she is so beloved. But this is what graphic novels can do now: give visual life to a story in a way that's never been imagined. Illustrator David Polonsky does a stellar job of depicting the oppressive, claustrophobic tension in the tiny space occupied by the Frank Family and others, as well as beautifully showing Anne's terrifying nightmares and her flights of fancy. Ari Folman has the unenviable job of condensing Anne's story into 150 pages, but it never feels truncated or shallow. Folman captures the spunk, ire, and spirit of Anne, while Polonsky shows her in a myriad of different moods. How absolutely amazing to dive into this fleshed-out version of Anne's heartbreaking story. Recommended By Dianah H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
A timeless story rediscovered by each new generation,
The Diary of a Young Girl stands without peer. For both young readers and adults it continues to capture the remarkable spirit of Anne Frank, who for a time survived the worst horror the modern world has seen — and who remained triumphantly and heartbreakingly human throughout her ordeal.
Adapted by Ari Folman, illustrated by David Polonsky, and authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation in Basel, this is the first graphic edition of The Diary and includes extensive quotation directly from the definitive edition. It remains faithful to the original, while the stunning illustrations interpret and add layers of visual meaning and immediacy to this classic work of Holocaust literature.
Review
"Folman and Polonsky have reclaimed Anne Frank in all of her humanity, and they allow us to witness for ourselves her beauty, courage, vision and imagination, all of the qualities that make her life and early death so heartbreaking. And, in doing so, they have elevated the tools of the comic book to create an astonishing work of art." Jewish Journal
Review
"'Even deep sleep brings no redemption, ' she writes. 'The dreams still creep in.' Those dreams bring out the best of the illustrations amid the depictions of the everyday confinement in which Anne, her family, and others are hiding. A different format distills and renews Frank's achievement." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"A superb offering to read alongside the original, this adaptation lets its narrator's voice soar." School Library Journal
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About the Author
Anne Frank was born in 1929 in Germany. Her family moved to Amsterdam in 1933, and she died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945.
Ari Folman is a director, screenwriter, and film score composer. He has written for several successful Israeli TV series and was the director and writer of the Oscar-nominated Waltz with Bashir, as well as The Congress, and is working on an animated feature based on The Diary of a Young Girl to be released in 2019.
David Polonsky graduated from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem. His illustrations have appeared in most of Israel's leading newspapers and magazines and he was the art director and lead artist for the Oscar-nominated Waltz with Bashir. He has illustrated a number of children's books, and received the Israel Museum Ben-Yitzhak Award for the Illustration of Children's Books in 2004 and 2008. Since 1999 he has taught animation and illustration at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.