Hidden Jews in the Warsaw Zoo - Amanda Leslie - Bog

A young author/illustrator from Iowa brings the famous WWII story of the Warsaw Zoo to life for young readers! Zookeepers Jan Zabinski and his wife Antonina, along with their little son Ryzsard, did their best to keep the zoo open during this difficult time. This Polish Catholic family was shocked by Nazi racism during a terrible time in history (now called the Holocaust). But fear did not paralyze them - they took action! Their zoo had been nearly destroyed by the Nazis when they invaded in 1939. Sadly, most of the animals were killed or sent away. The Zabinski family began a bigger plan for rescuing the Jews who were suffering in the nearby Warsaw Ghetto. Jan became a part of the Polish Resistance Group that helped Jews escape from the Nazi's horrible conditions. Their system consisted of having Jan bring the Jews into the zoo and having Antonina find a place for them to stay. Some went in the cages disguised as animals, others went in their house and hid in closets, and some hid in an underground path that led to animal cages. Occasionally Antonina had to dye their hair to disguise them if they were to go into the animal cages. Many years later, Jan Zabinski said, "I only did my duty. If you can save someone's life, it's your duty to try. We did it because it was the right thing to do."