The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II

*As heard on The Jeremy Vine ShowAs heard on The Cerys Matthews Show***"Michael Rosen is a master of pace and clarity... Essential reading." - The Times, Children's Book of the Week"Five stars ... extraordinary and affecting. " - The Telegraph, Children's Book of the Week"Rosen handles the difficult topic as sensitively and thoughtfully as you would expect, always writing in a straightforward and accessible way for children." - BookTrust, the UK's largest reading charityA personal, powerful and resonant account of the Holocaust by one of this country's best-loved children's authors. By turns charming, shocking and heart-breaking, this is the true story of Michael Rosen's search for his relatives who "went missing" during the Second World War - told through prose, poetry, maps and pictures. When Michael was growing up, stories often hung in the air about his great-uncles: one was a clock-mender and the other a dentist. They were there before the war, his dad would say, and weren't after. Over many years, Michael tried to find out exactly what happened: he interviewed family members, scoured the internet, pored over books and traveled to America and France. The story he uncovered was one of terrible persecution - and it has inspired his poetry for years since. Here, poems old and new are balanced against an immensely readable narrative; both an extraordinary account and a powerful tool for talking to children about the Holocaust. Supported and checked by the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education. "Fascinating, chilling and poignantly personal" - Financial Times"The Missing may ostensibly concern the Holocaust but, as Rosen makes clear, this is a book about facing down prejudice, defying those who would sow the seeds of hatred and opening our arms to those in need." - Independent

One of the best-known figures in the children's book world and former Children's Laureate, Michael is renowned for his work as a poet, performer, broadcaster and scriptwriter. He is author of the internationally bestselling We're Going On a Bear Hunt, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury.