Thanks for sharing the information about
the illustrator for the book,
Marcie. I read in an interview somewhere that the author thought at the outset that he was going to do the drawings (I'm not so sure he didn't do some of the smaller ones,) but that his ace was going to be friend Trudy White...who he finally did call upon to illustrate his book. They do work for me in the context. I can see Max drawing them in the basement...
Traudee just received her book and is puzzling over
the "grunge font" used for page numbers. I'd be really happy if someone found an explanation for this. They are driving me crazy when I try to note something on a certain page and can't really figure them out unless I can make out a number on previous or later pages and count. Do you think they are supposed to be done with a paintbrush? Or perhaps a bad typewriter ribbon?
I'm hoping that we'll find out the reason for the grunge before we come to the end of the book.
I'd love to have
a Duden dictionary ...but don't know where I'd keep nine volumes! I love the idea of a combined dictionary/thesaurus like the volume Liesel "stole". From the link
Ella provided, the Duden was first printed in
1870 1880. Ilsa Hermann had a copy in her library and left it in the window for Liesel...
We aren't told why she decided that Liesel should have it. Is it to help with her reading, do you think? Or maybe writing?
I was interested in the words selected from the Duden and their synonyms... they seem to signal the contents of the chapter that is to follow:
Zufriedenbeit - Happiness - describing the joy, and gladness Liesel felt when accompanying Hans as he painted the blinds.
Angst - Fear, the awareness of the danger felt in the bomb shelter.
Maybe some of you don't remember the blackout shades here in the US - is because you didn't live on one of the coasts. It is my one clear memory of fear during the war,
Ella. I found this site that might explain the reason -
The civilian defense against air attacks began with pilots who flew along the coastlines and plane spotters who manned towers to watch for approaching enemy planes. There were also blackout drills that forced people to practice their response to the air-raid alarm signalThere were also blackout drills that forced people to practice their response to the air-raid alarm signal—a series of intermittent siren blasts. Air-raid wardens supervised the blackout drills, cruising up and down neighborhood streets to make sure no light escaped the houses. By early 1943, there were about 6 million volunteers in public protection roles such as air-raid warden.
Blackout drills were planned in advance and advertised. Street lights were turned off at the scheduled time. Anyone outside was to take cover inside. Those in their homes were instructed to pull down the blinds on their windows and keep the light inside to a minimum. People in cars were to pull over and find shelter in the nearest building. The idea was that enemy planes couldn't target what they couldn't see, and that any light visible from above could attract bombs and gunfire. Busy with the Blitz-Proofing