Lily Renee, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer

by Trina Robbins

Other authorsAnne Timmons (Illustrator), Mo Oh (Illustrator)
Hardcover, 2011

Status

Available

Call number

J B REN

Publication

Graphic Universe (2011), Library Binding, 96 pages

Description

In 1938, Lily Renée Wilheim is a 14-year-old Jewish girl living in Vienna. Her days are filled with art and ballet. Then the Nazis march into Austria, and Lily's life is shattered overnight. Suddenly, her own country is no longer safe for her or her family. To survive, Lily leaves her parents behind and travels alone to England. Escaping the Nazis is only the start of Lily's journey. She must escape many more times-from servitude, hardship, and danger. Will she find a way to have her own sort of revenge on the Nazis? Follow the story of a brave girl who becomes an artist of heroes and a true pioneer in comic bo

Library's rating

½

Barcode

3273

Awards

Sydney Taylor Book Award (Mass Import -- Pending Differentiation)

Language

User reviews

LibraryThing member STBA
Not only did Lily Wilheim survive, she triumphed over circumstances that forced her from a loving home in pre-war Vienna, on a Kindertransport to England, to the United States and through a variety of jobs and situations to become a comic book illustrator. Timmons and Oh’s vibrant graphic format,
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and the back matter with photographs, a glossary and historical descriptions, make for an exciting and educational biography.
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LibraryThing member Sullywriter
Interesting person but not a terribly compelling presentation or story.
LibraryThing member A_Reader_of_Fictions
One of my favorite historical time periods to read about and study is that of World War II. I also adore graphic novels, so when I saw this one I could not resist. This isn't one about plot or surprising the reader; the publisher's description, like mine, reveals the beginning, middle and end of
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her story. That's not really what it's about; instead, the focus is on the quality of life she experienced and the success she managed to acquire despite her many hardships.

The art in the novel is beautiful and feminine, looking a lot like a clothing catalog, the kind Lily herself posed for and drew for during her young adulthood. This style fits very well with the story, and gives it an upbeat feel that goes along with the overall message.

This tale touches on the Holocaust, but is not one to read if you want to find out about the many atrocities of that time period. It's just one Jewish woman's story, and she happens to have been, all things considered, very lucky, given what could have happened to her. I like the story for its viewpoint and because I learned about the Kindertransport.

I would definitely recommend this as a good entry into studies of World War II and the Holocaust for children, as it is not at all graphic and gives a basic overview of the timeline, explaining some basic vocabulary. The additional materials following the story itself would also be excellent for such a purpose.
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LibraryThing member hereandthere
The biography of the artist Lily Renee Wilheim is rendered in graphic form. The result is a really good little graphic life story with a Holocaust background, yet which is not "about" the Holocaust as such. It provides a quick historical introduction to many facets of the Second World War and the
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refugee experience, through the eyes of an Austrian Jewish girl from a prosperous family who was rescued by the kindertransports to England, and later was reunited with her parents in America, in the early 1940s. She became a comic book artist in New York, and later moved on to other forms of art. It really conveys the experience of escape, of loss, of confusion through the eyes of a young teen. I found it very moving, and nicely illustrated. It would be a good introduction to a difficult topic for young teens, and is inspiring for a person of any age, as a story of creating oneself as an artist.
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LibraryThing member TBE
Meet Lily Renee: war refugee, fashion model, jewelry designer, and the artist behind the glamorous and deadly superheroine, Senorita Rio!
This book is written in comics and includes Holocaust related content.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
This gives a brief overview of Lily's life as the Nazi's come to power and then getting to America. I was definitely interested in the story and only wish it had gone more in depth.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
This gives a brief overview of Lily's life as the Nazi's come to power and then getting to America. I was definitely interested in the story and only wish it had gone more in depth.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
This gives a brief overview of Lily's life as the Nazi's come to power and then getting to America. I was definitely interested in the story and only wish it had gone more in depth.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
This gives a brief overview of Lily's life as the Nazi's come to power and then getting to America. I was definitely interested in the story and only wish it had gone more in depth.
LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco
A good story about a young Jewish gal surviving WW II and the Nazis. A good introduction into this subject for younger readers - true, but not graphic. My 10 year old really loved it! Thanks PJ Library!
LibraryThing member shazzerwise
As posted on Outside of a Dog:

Written by Trina Robbins and illustrated by Anne Timmons and Mo Oh, Lily Renee, Escape Artist is the true story of an Austrian Jewish girl saved from the Holocaust by the Kindertransport, sent to England, and reunited with her parents in America where she eventually
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becomes a comic book illustrator. All throughout her story, Lily faces danger, oppression and disappointment with an almost stoic grace and good will. She works hard through many jobs, from mother's helper to baby nurse during the Blitz to catalog illustrator and clothing model before finding her calling drawing such comics as "Werewolf Hunter" and "Senorita Rio", about a secret agent nightclub singer who fights Nazis in South America. Robbins handles the historical elements of Lily's story very well, inserting facts along with narration in a seamless flow. The art of Timmons and Oh seems perfectly suited to tell this tale, the style seeming both classic and modern, with intricate historical detail. Back matter includes lots of great information, including info on concentration camps vs. British internment camps, facts about British money and Prime Ministers Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill and a look at American wartime comic books written or illustrated by women. It also includes photos of the real Lily Renee and her family.
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LibraryThing member jennybeast
Fascinating person, but the bio falls a little flat -- not enough detail to really bring her to life.

ISBN

0761360107 / 9780761360100
Page: 0.8126 seconds