In 1938 twenty-nine-year-old Nicholas Winton saved the lives of almost 700 children trapped in
Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia-a story he never told and that remained unknown until an
unforgettable TV appearance in the 1980s reunited him with some of the children he saved.
Czech-American artist MacArthur Fellow and Andersen Award winner Peter Sís dramatises Winton's
story in this distinctive and deeply personal picture book. He intertwines Nicky's efforts with
the story of one of the children he saved-a young girl named Vera whose family enlisted
Nicky's aid when the Germans occupied their country. As the war passes and Vera grows up she
must find balance in her dual identities-one her birthright the other her choice. Nicky & Vera
is a masterful tribute to a humble man's courageous efforts to protect Europe's most vulnerable
and a timely portrayal of the hopes and fears of those forced to leave their homes and create
new lives.
