Andrej and Tomas are the only survivors, along with their infant sister, of a German attack on their Romany encampment. Traveling at night, they encounter an abandoned zoo in a bombed-out village. Used to a lifetime of wandering, the boys have a deep appreciation for freedom freedom that is denied the zoo animals. During a single evening, the animals and children share their stories of war and loss. The animals are so bitter about their confinement that the troubles of war seem almost a secondary concern, while the boys are shell-shocked but focused on survival. The resolution at the end, although stirring in its magic realism, may confuse some readers. Still, this middle-grade fantasy from Printz Honor Book author Hartnett is alternately lyrical and stark, and it manages to combine adventure with a more thoughtful exploration of the nature of freedom and hope. Offermann's beautiful pencil illustrations at the beginning of each chapter evoke the message at the heart of this book, that though "cages come and get you," the determination to endure will win out.

During World War II, two Romany boys and their baby sister find themselves in a zoo inhabited by talking animals. They share their stories--of brutality, courage, despair, and hope--then the narrative shifts to an escape journey. Hartnett's particular combination of crystal-edged realism and operatic scope makes for a riveting, edgy read, leaving one examining the whole notion of civilization versus wildness.

In a bombed town, two gypsy boys discover a zoo where abandoned animals teach them the meaning of freedom amid war's chaos. After witnessing their Romany caravan, including their parents and uncle, callously demolished by soldiers two months earlier, 12-year-old Andrej and his 9-year-old brother Tomas flee with their baby sister into what seems to be the European countryside of World War II. Trusting no one, they travel by night to avoid soldiers and civilians who hate them because they are Roms and "different." Even though "fear beat inside Andrej like a dark, angry bird," he tries to appear "calm and undaunted for Tomas, as if the precarious life they lived was unexceptional, and held no terrors at all." When the boys find a mysterious zoo with a talking lioness, bear, wolf, chamois, eagle, boar, seal, llama, monkey and kangaroo, they share their meager food and stories with these fellow war victims. Helplessly trapped, the animals long for freedom but fear the unknown as Andrej tries to release them. Written in lyrical, spare prose, the plot encompasses a single night in which doomed animals and brave boys cling to hope in a world that makes no sense. Black-and-white spot art highlights animals and key scenes. An evocative story about unusual war victims whose enduring belief in goodness brings true freedom. (Fable. 10 & up)  

Gr 5-8 Brothers Andrej, 12, and Tomas, 9, are wandering a war-ravaged countryside after their Romany encampment was attacked by German soldiers. Carrying their infant sister in a pack, they've been scavenging for weeks when they stumble upon an abandoned zoo curiously unharmed in a town utterly destroyed by bombing. The animals are hungry, thirsty, and frightened in their cages, but willing to share their stories with the children. War as seen through the eyes of innocent children is brutal, but the judgment of these animals on man for the horror of war and the iron bars keeping them from their rightful place in the world is heartbreaking. Despite seeing two members of his caravan brutally killed and his extended family marched off by soldiers and told to bring shovels, Andrej clings to the hope of finding his parents. The na&9;vet&3; of children will allow hope in this story even though the circumstances of the lost children and caged animals offer little reason for it. The hungry, footsore youngsters share their food with the animals and, through their own storytelling, create an escape that brings freedom to all of them. The language is spare and poignant; each animal has a story and a distinct voice, ranging from tragic to menacing to sadly comic. The setting of Europe during World War II is revealed through tiny historical details woven seamlessly into the story, but the lack of precise place names and dates gives the novel a timeless quality. This beautiful and sad book will stay with readers long after the story is done. Caroline Tesauro, Radford Public Library, VA