Minneapolis St. Paul "The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertansport"

Please join us virtually as we learn this powerful story as is told from the collective perspective of the children who were rescued from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II, as Hitler's campaign of hatred toward Jews and political dissidents took hold. Award-winning author Caren Stelson teams up with acclaimed illustrator Selina Alko to sensitively tell this tale of survival and defiance in the face of tyranny. Sir Nicholas Winton was known for organizing the rescue of 669 Czech children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia during the nine months before war broke out in 1939.

Ever since Caren Stelson began researching her father’s WWII experience, she has been processing the human cost of war, its trauma, and the power of resilience to bring about hope, healing, and peace. Her books for children and young adults include: Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story, A Bowl Full of Peace, and Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Stars of the Night is a particularly personal story because of her Jewish roots. Caren and her
husband live in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Award-winning writer-illustrator Selina Alko spends her days melding words and mixed-media art to convey stories of hope and inspiration—as well as an alternative viewpoint. Growing up with Jewish roots, her father spoke seven languages and taught painting, alongside her mother, who worked in the family’s century-old metal recycling business. Selina was surrounded by the melody of words and stories from different places.
Her books include The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage, Daddy Christmas & Hanukkah Mama, and I is for Immigrants. Selina lives in Brooklyn, New York.