{"id":2547,"date":"2020-02-01T17:33:04","date_gmt":"2020-02-01T16:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oczamidziecka.al.uw.edu.pl\/?page_id=2547"},"modified":"2023-12-06T10:18:53","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T09:18:53","slug":"mala-wojna-the-little-war","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/oczamidziecka.al.uw.edu.pl\/index.php\/en\/mala-wojna-the-little-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Ma\u0142a wojna [The Little War]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Author: Katarzyna Ryrych<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Illustrator: Joanna Rusinek<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Year: 2019<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Publisher: Literatura<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Place of publication: \u0141\u00f3d\u017a<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Pages: 80<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
ISBN: 9788376726557<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Notes: “Wojny doros\u0142ych \u2013 historie dzieci” series<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Cover courtesy of the publisher. \u00a9Katarzyna Ryrych
\u00a9Wydawnictwo Literatura<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The plot of\u00a0Ma\u0142a wojna<\/em> [The Little War] takes place in and around Lviv (in today\u2019s Ukraine) during the Second World War. Two sisters living in a suburban home, Janeczka and Lilka, try to function normally in the shadow of the conflict. This is made easier by their family\u2019s wealth, thanks to which they can take music lessons from Mr. Stefan whom they call Maestro \u2013 a demanding yet friendly senior violin virtuoso. During a seemingly routine lesson at Mr. Stefan\u2019s home, Lilka notices a book fall out of a shelf. Another time, it seems to the girls that a portrait hanging on the wall is following them with its eyes. The strange phenomena push the characters to investigate the mystery of Maestro\u2019s home.<\/span><\/p>\n

In her short story, Ryrych uses the genre of the detective novel, drawing from the rich imagination of the child characters. This makes\u00a0Ma\u0142a wojna<\/em> [The Little War] a compelling read. However, the element of adventure does not overshadow the subtly depicted tragedy of war which affects Janeczka and Lilka\u2019s family. It is with similar gentleness that the author mentions the extermination of Jewish neighbours \u201cleaving\u201d the city, and \u201cthe crazies\u201d as they are called by one child character, meaning the patients at the mental hospital in Kulparkowo, located near the girls\u2019 home (and active until this day). Notably, this is the first mention of the Holocaust of persons with disabilities and mental illnesses in Polish children\u2019s literature.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bibliography:<\/h6>\n