How is terrible things an allegory

Enter your email and date of birth below. If we find you in our database, we'll send an email with your membership information. Why I chose this book : Terrible Things is a picture book story of what happens to a forest of animals when they choose to be silent, even as terrible things are taking away their neighbors, one by one, without reason.

It's an accessible way to introduce kids of almost any age to the ideas and messages of the Holocaust, and can be used as a supplemental text in both English and history classes.

How teachers can use this book: I use this book as part of my ninth-grade Holocaust literature unit as we study Elie Wiesel's Night. It also pairs perfectly with the poem, "First They Came," by the Rev.

Martin Niemoller. Finally, the bunny leaves the clearing, in search of others who will listen to his story. Terrible Things sends an important message, but not just to children, to all ages. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak out for me. Jan 15, Kim McGiveran rated it it was amazing. This book is an excellent allegory of the horror that took place during the Holocaust. Though the Holocaust itself is never mentioned, the nightmare of that event is felt through this picture book.

I definitely would not read this picture book to young children due to the heaviness of the subject. In this book, the setting takes place in a forest with all the animals living in peace and harmony with each other.

Then a very dark and scary shadowy being enters in and stirs up fear in all the anima This book is an excellent allegory of the horror that took place during the Holocaust.

Then a very dark and scary shadowy being enters in and stirs up fear in all the animals. Each time this dark shadow monster comes it wants a different animal, and captures it with its nets. The other animals exclaim how they don't have those characteristics of that particular animal it is after, and therefore they are safe.

They even go on to say negative things about the particular animal that was taken. There is a definite theme of "minding your own business" and the impact that takes place when people are silent and inactive to injustice they see around them.

This book is definitely for more mature readers and I would recommend upper elementary at the youngest. It's a great story that represents the horror of the Holocaust, but also how staying silent and not helping those in need is just as horrible. Mar 26, Lindsey rated it it was amazing Shelves: kid-friendly , This book should make a comeback.

The thoughts contained in it are simple enough for children, but a powerful reminder for the rest of us, as well. Just because you are not being targeted by whoever is targeting other people, don't think you can turn your back and it will never happen to you. Apr 10, Courtney rated it it was amazing Shelves: historical-fiction , wwii , kids. I just purchased this book to read aloud to my 6th grade students as we are beginning our Holocaust unit. I found it very powerful, and I'm hoping that my students find a great deal of meaning in this book.

The artwork is beautiful, and the allegory is perfect. Every person needs to read this. May 22, Julie rated it it was amazing. Incredible Holocaust allegory picture book. Apr 09, Ilana Kate rated it it was amazing Shelves: elm This WOW book fits perfectly for the informational text genre. This is a really good way of introducing the cental message of the Holocaust in a more kid-friendly, age appropriate way.

This book is definitely a wow book for me because of that. I have not read anything like this before so it was super interesting for me and gave me a different persepective. The illustrations by Stephen Gammell are really captivating and thought provoking too. This book would be useful as an introduction for having a discussion about the holocaust in older grades as it hints at the problems people at that time faced and how scared they were.

You could have 4th gaders do this book too as you could you use the messages in the book in a lesson about bullying or standing up for what you believe in. It is very important to instill those ideas in our students and children. Students could also assume the role of Little Rabbit and think about what advice they would give to the other forest creatures when they go to tell them about the Terrible Things.

They could even create a poster with their advice. Nov 30, Alex Baugh rated it really liked it Shelves: world-war Eve Bunting is a prolific and versatile writers with over books to her credit. Among her considerable oeuvre is a small but powerful allegory of the Holocaust and what happens when one turns a blind eye to the terrible things that are being done to others instead of standing up for what was right.

The trouble begins in a forest where everything is Eve Bunting is a prolific and versatile writers with over books to her credit. The trouble begins in a forest where everything is fine and all the animals get alone well, That is until the Terrible Things arrive, blocking out the sun and announcing that they have come for all the creatures who have feathers.

Though all the feathered creatures try to fly away, the Terrible Things had brought big nets, capture them all and take them away. Seeing this, Little Rabbit doesn't understand what was wrong with having feathers, but Big Rabbit tells him not to say anything, and to mind his own business, so as not to anger the Terrible Things.

And so, it went from then on. The Terrible Things come day by day for the animals of the forest, type by type. And each time they come, the remaining animals look the other way and ignor the cries of the captured creatures.

Pretty soon, the only animals left are the rabbits. But one day, the Terrible Things come for them, too Introducing the Holocaust to younger readers is never an easy task. On the one hand, you don't want to scare them so much they can't get beyond their own fear. On the other hand, as the Holocaust slips further and further into history, it may be difficult for kids to fully realize the importance of the lessons of tolerance we should have hopefully learned from it.

The indirect way Bunting presents both of these concerns in Terrible Things makes it a good book for readers to learn about the Holocaust and for helping kids to understand the consequences of behavior like that of the Rabbits, and for encouraging them to be brave enough to stand up for wrongs.

Bunting words are chilling and are expertly illustrated in the haunting pencil drawing by Stephen Gammell, which add so much to the ominous feeling in this story. He is spot on in the way he has captured the fear of the animals as the Terrible Things come for them, but in the sense of isolation each animal type feels as they try to flee.

Years ago, I bought a postcard at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC and have kept it all these years to remind me of the very thing that Even Bunting is writing about in Terrible Things. Though it is basically a picture book, Terrible Things can easily be used for elementary, middle school and even high school students.

And there are any number of excellent lesson plans available for this book that has so much to offer in terms of teaching kids about courage, tolerance, diversity as well as the Holocaust. One example of an excellent lesson plan for older students can be found at the Mandel Project. May 01, Branden added it Shelves: children-s-books. This children's book tells an allegory of the Holocaust using animals in a clearing and some scary, nondescript "Terrible Things," based on the Martin Niemoller quote: "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. I would frontload this with an anticipation guide such as ones used by Beers that asks really difficult questions about the Holocaust and similar atrocities, specifically questions about how these things are allowed to happen. I would use questions like "Whenever I see something bad happening, I always step in and help" and "I'm more likely to help someone if I can relate to them" and "Sometimes I ignore a problem because it's not my problem.

View 1 comment. Jan 27, Jim Erekson rated it really liked it Shelves: dark , picturebooks. Thanks for the recommendation, Matt! Stephen Gammell 's illustrations added the same horror he brought to the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series.

Eve Bunting's simple allegory is all the more chilling for these dark illustrations. It might have been more subtle if it weren't so easy to see the terrible things for what they are, if they had been somehow disguised to look more normal or innocuous.

The main discussion of why people don't act would be an interesting topic to bring up with kids. So many of us would like to think we wouldn't act that way, but until we think closely about why people don't act we won't be ready. Jan 05, Madison Hannold rated it it was amazing. I really enjoyed this story. I really liked how Eve Bunting used sybolism in the story. It was very interesting to see how she told a story about the Holocaust using different animals, and shadows called the terrible things.

The animals were a good representation of the Jews, while the Terrible things were a good representation of the Germans. Only the bunny had the courage the ask what was wrong with having feathers but it was urged by the Big Rabbit to remain quiet and be grateful that the Terrible Things did not come for them. Life continued just as before without the birds until one day the Terrible Things came back, looking for the creatures with bushy tails.

Just like before, every creature tried to excuse themselves. The squirrels tried to hide from the Terrible Things but they were seen and then caught with the same nets the birds were caught. Then, the squirrels were taken away by the Terrible Things. Just like before, the reaming animals tried to fool themselves by claiming that the clearing is better off without the squirrels and their noise and the Big Rabbit urged the little one to remain quiet and be grateful the Terrible Things left them alone.

Then, the Terrible Things came from the creatures that could swim and they took away the frogs and the fish that lived in the little stream in the clearing. Then, the Terrible Things came for the porcupines and the only creatures remaining were the white rabbits. The Little Rabbit tried to convince the Big Rabbit to leave the clearing, fearing that they would be next.

The Big Rabbit insisted however on staying, claiming that no harm could come to them. However, one day, the Terrible Things came back for every creature who was white.