The Story of Bodri by Hédi Fried and Stina Wirsén is the story of a faithful family dog who waits for his family to return after they are put in concentration camps during the Holocaust.

The Story of Bodri was inspired by the author’s own experiences of being ripped away from her home during the Holocaust. As a child, Hédi spent her days with her best friend (and family dog) Bodri, and they would play with Hédi’s sister and the other local children. But Hédi is Jewish, and soon she is placed in a concentration camp, far away from safety, her parents, and her best friend. While she endures the horrors of being imprisoned, Hédi thinks of her dog knowing that he is also thinking of her, waiting until they can be together again.

The illustrations were created with watercolor, ink, and digital media, and though this is a text heavy book, the strong use of white space allows ample room for Fried’s words and Wirsén’s images to coexist without overwhelming each other or the reader. Wirsén uses a combination of different color palettes depending on where Hédi is physically (bright colors at the beginning, somber grays while the girls are in the camp), and she also manages to incorporate some fantastic patterning into the clothing and wallpapers.

The Story of Bodri published earlier this year from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

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