Publikationsreihe von Hannelore Brenner
und Room 28 Projects
Edition Room 28. Independant Berlin publisher. Publishing House nr.: 5245445.
Brundibár. How Aninka and Pepíček defeated the organ grinder
Retold for children by Hannelore Brenner with paintings by Maria Thomaschke.
English edition. Release: 23 September 2026
Edition Room 28. Hardcover, 68 p. ISBN: 978-3-9819140-7-8
Pre-ordering: Edition Room 28 or: Kulturkaufhaus Dussmann
Brundibár by Hans Krása (music) and Adolf Hoffmeister (libretto) is a classic of children’s opera literature and a musical tribute to the memory of the children in the Theresienstadt ghetto. The adventure of Aninka and Pepíček, who, together with a sparrow, a dog, a cat, and the children of their town, defeat the wicked organ grinder, turns into a parable about the importance of humanity and the power of solidarity. What its creators experienced, missed, and hoped for in their Czech homelands in the year 1938, when the opera was created, they translated into the realm of fairy-tale utopia. The book tells the story on which the libretto of the children’s opera is based for children aged four and up.
The book is more than a book for small children, it is also for adults, for all interested in the opera, its story and history. The author's Epilogue "Brundibár and the Girls of Room 28" sheds light on the importance of the opera for the children in the Theresienstadt ghetto.
We offer readings for children (in German) with music and songs and sometimes with a real barrel organ. See:
Vom Sieg über den bösen Leierkastenmann (Defeating the wicked organ grinder) First review of the children's book in the Jüdische Allgemeine, 30 November 2023, Dr. Haddasah Stichnote wrote about the paintings by Maria Thomaschke:
"Unlike Maurice Sendak, who in his multifaceted 2003 adaptation - which is only suitable for younger children to a limited extent - blends the plot and the historical context into images with a latent sense of menace, Maria Thomaschke’s illustrations breathe the same optimism as the original work. Her illustrations are rendered in light strokes and vibrant, luminous colours. Sometimes almost sketch-like, they depict a small-town world that could just as easily exist today as it did 80 years ago."
I am very grateful to a long-time friend, the wonderful, multi-talented singer and painter Maria Thomaschke, whose illustrations were essential to bringing this book to life. As a member of the ensemble Zwockhaus, Maria has been closely connected with the “Room 28 Project of Remembrance” since 2008. At many readings, when Helga Pollak-Kinsky read from her Theresienstadt diary, Maria sang songs by Ilse Weber and songs from the Theresienstadt cabaret.
Maria ‘s talent for painting was evident from an early age, but only in recent years has she begun to pursue it with the same passion she has for singing.
The story behind the opera Brundibár is told through the book and the exhibition The Girls of Room 28. Learn more about the close connection between the two stories on:
