The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark

Rating:
Summary: History Grad. student
Review: Authors should be more responsible in writing historical fiction, by sticking to the truth and not by distorting history. They ought to write their chara. around the history, not the other way!

Rating:
Summary: History Grad. student
Review: Authors should be more responsible in writing historical fiction, by sticking to the truth and not by distorting history. They ought to write their chara. around the history, not the other way!

Rating:
Summary: Now what exactly is the road to hell paved with again?
Review: If you were unaware of the history behind "The Yellow Star", you might find the idea of a negative review of this book distasteful. After all, what kind of cold-hearted lizard would be so cruel as to give a poor rating to a book that speaks about a king's love of his countrymen? What sort of sad sack of garbage would put down a story in which all persons, regardless of religion, are treated as human beings by their benevolent king? I mean, for a person to do such a thing they'd have to have a very very good reason. They'd have to feel, for example, that the book was a travesty against the very people it's attempting to praise. Such a reviewer am I. And such a terrible book is "The Yellow Star".

Allow me to sum it up. As stated in the title, this tale is the legend of King Christian X of Denmark. A noble man, his subjects loved him dearly and he always made wise decisions. One day, however, the Nazis came. Though Christian was able to stave off their insistence that the Nazi flag fly high, he was powerless against an edict that would force all Jews to wear the yellow star. After much soul searching and pondering, King Christian came up with a brilliant solution. The next day, while riding his horse amongst the people as usual, the king sported a yellow star of his own. And in time all the Danish people did the same.

Ah, you say. What an inspiring story. What a swell testament to such a strong man and his convictions. What a... WHAT? You're telling me it isn't true? Nope. As it happens you may have missed the word "legend" in the subtitle. Now there was a King Christian of Denmark, yes. And he was a good king. Why, a simple reading of the excellent "Number the Stars" (a book that the author of this tale mentions in her Author's Note, none to my surprise) will prove that much. And sadly, "Number the Stars", though a fiction, is far more truthful than this particular creation. Now don't get me wrong. The author freely admits in the Author's Note that this story isn't true. I wonder how many parents regularly read such notes to their kids after reading this story... hm. I wonder how many adults would even bother with an Author's Note themselves? Author Deedy writes that this book is supposed to be a "what if?" story. She then lists the actions the Danes actually took against the oppressive Nazis. It's as if their actual efforts weren't enough. Who cares if they smuggled 7,000 Jews to Sweden? Who cares that of the 500 deported only 51 died? Let's write a fairy tale instead where ALL the Jews were perfectly safe because their big hearted king saved them, the end. What kind of person looks at human suffering and the heroics that went into saving a group from destruction and then says, "It wasn't enough. I need to make a story where the king did even more"? Not only is this insulting to the very people you're trying to commemorate, but you've just treated their accomplishments as paltry. This book is a slap in the face to every Dane that actually saved a Jewish life. It says to them, "Ah yes, you were fine, but what if you'd done THIS?". It makes me sick. And when Deedy lists the Danes accomplishments in her Author's Note, how do you know what she writes is true? She never quotes a single source or backs up any of her facts with reliable resources. She could be making up every word in this book (rather than every other word) and we'd never be the wiser.

For a fun time, check out some of the professional reviews of this picture book. If you look on the back cover of "Yellow Star" you may see a quote from School Library Journal that says, "Deed's language is simple and rhythmic... This is an interesting and thought-provoking piece of work". Here's the rest of that review that you didn't see. "Readers are sure to be disappointed to find out that it is legend, and not verified history.-Martha Link, Louisville Free Public Library, KY". Truthfully, when a book decides that it's going to tell a "what if" story about something as black and horrific as the Holocaust, it makes that event small and easy to ignore. A note on the back of the book says that this story, "will involve elementary age children in this legend while exposing them to harsh truths". No it won't. Give your children Roberto Innocenti's, "Rose Blanche". Give them the exquisite and far preferable "Number the Stars". Heck, give them Dr. Seuss's "Yertle the Turtle". Every one of these books is a better written and far more respectful treatment of injustice at the hands of the powerful and none of them pretend to be non-fiction. "The Yellow Star" insults the memory of those remarkable Danish people that risked it all to save their friends and neighbors. Honor them by not purchasing this book.


Rating:
Summary: This is a total lie
Review: Listen...this book is so full of crap that I'm not going to bother arguing with it. Just do this.

Google this:
The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark is a lie

and read for yourself about this cannard created by Jews

Instead of reading this drivel...

Read this: The Culture of Critique by Kevin Macdonald

Then, perhaps, you will wake up....or you could just go right back into your old trance and scream about how everybody who says anything at all about the Jews as a group is a raving, anti-semite Nazi....


Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Book
Review: The Yellow Star is a beautifully told and illustrated story.

The story takes places during World War II in Denmark. The beloved King of Denmark is faced with protecting all of his people from the Nazi army.

When the King is told that all Jews must wear yellow stars, he decides to wear a star himself in hopes that his people will understand his meaning and all wear stars.

The story is only a legend. Author Carmen Deedy talks about which portions of the story are in fact true in a small section at the end of the book.

The language of the book and the illustrations are beautiful. It is a wonderful story.

Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING! A BOOK THAT WILL RESONATE IN YOUR MEMORY
Review: This beautifully illustrated book and equally beautiful story will touch everyone who is fortunate to read or hear of it.

The Star of David, the symbol of the Jewish faith took a prominent place in history during the Second World War. King Christian X, an especially beloved monarch had made a commitment to all Danes: he would protect them in every way possible.

During the early part of the war, Nazi soldiers replaced the Danish flag with a Nazi flag. King Christian had the flag replaced with the Danish flag. Nazi officials interrogated the king, who declared that if any Nazi carried out the threat to shoot whoever removed the Nazi flag, then that assassin would be guilty of killing the king because he, King Christian X would remove that Nazi flag himself! Seeing how imprudent challenging this king would be, the Nazi officer declared that all Jewish people in Denmark had to identify themselves by wearing a Star of David emblazoned on their clothing.

King Christian X, after long and hard thought, came up with a solution. He decreed that ALL Danes would wear the Star of David and the Nazis wouldn't be any the wiser as to who was Jewish. He called for unity and solidarity among his Danish subjects.

This is such a moving, heartwarming story of how love and solidarity faced up to evil and cruelty. The author does a magnificent job of drawing the line between fact and legend and concludes by saying how we really need this story. That is so true. We really do need this story.

I really love this book.

Rating:
Summary: Behind the Bedroom Walls
Review: This book is a legend that was written by: Carmen Agra Deedy.
This book is when the Nazis took over Denmark in 1940. The Danes tried to protect the Jews by hiding them. Their King loses control of Denmark. This book is related to Number the stars, because they were around the same time and they book is about raiding the Jews. They both take place in Denmark and envolve world war 2. They also envolve the star of David. In the Yellow Star that was a jewish symbol and the nazis used it to hurt the jews and take advantage of them.

Rating:
Summary: The Jewish Star
Review: This is a wonderful book for teaching not only children but adults about the extraordinary events which took place in Denmark during WWII. So few people are aware of the compassion and the tolerance the Danish people showed to the Jewish community. This should be a must read for every class that studies the Holocaust. The children need to be taught that there were people who stood up the the grave injustices which were being committed.

Rating:
Summary: The Yellow Star: A touching memior
Review: Though the Yellow Star may appear nothing more than a picture book, it isn't. The Yellow Star is the touching story of the loved King Christian of Denmark. Before the war (World War II), Denmark was made up of all Danes, no race was stereotyped against. But, with the coming of the war and Hitler's anti-semitism, this changes. All jews are required to wear a yellow star on their clothing, to symbolize that they are different from others. Instead of Danes and Danes, Denmark was made up of Danes and Jews. King Christian, more powerful in character than in world influence will not stand for the treachery of his Danes, and requires the Yellow Star to be worn by all Danish citizens. Then, once again, "Denmark was made up of all Danes." Touching to the last word, this book deserves five stars and I highly reccommend it.