The Girl with the Red Hat
Alona goes to visit her grandfather and stays for the night. There, she dreams about a girl with a red hat, who looks a bit like Alona herself. The girl’s name is Alonka. Alona asks her grandfather questions about this girl, and slowly, her grandfather’s story is revealed.
During the horrors of the 2nd world war, when Alona’s grandfather was a child, he had to flee his home, wandering through fields and forests all by himself. Fortunately, he was given shelter by an elderly Polish couple, who let him work on their farm. He survived because of his dream to establish his own theater when he grew up. Alona’s grandfather will never forget the days when he had nothing but his dream. He will also never forget the kind old people who risked their lives to save his.
The book, based on the true survival story of the author’s grandfather, intends to bring a message of hope which is so important to children, especially today. It describes how people can survive and overcome hardships against all odds, by not losing hope. This story is, of course, an extremely unique case of survival, but it can serve as an example, carrying an optimistic message deep into the heart of any child; there is always a way to make a change and overcome an obstacle.
Last but not least, the story sheds light on the Righteous Among the Nations who risked their lives saving Jews during the holocaust. For the elderly Polish couple there was no distinction between humans and so called non-humans, between people worthy of kindness and those who are not.