Brundibar

When Aninku & Pepicek discover one morning that their mother is sick, they rush to town for milk to make her better. Their attempt to earn money by singing is thwarted by a bullying, bellowing hurdy-gurdy grinder, Brundibar, who tyrannizes the town square & chases all other street musicians away. Befriended by 3 intelligent talking animals & 300 helpful schoolkids, brother & sister sing for the money, buy the milk, defeat the bully, & triumphantly return home. This book is based on a Czech opera of the same name ( BrundibarÓ is Czech slang for BumblebeeÓ), with a libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister, set to music by Hans Krasa. Completed in 1938, the opera was performed 55 times by the children of Terezin, the Nazi concentration camp.Sendak, Maurice is the author of 'Brundibar', published 2006 under ISBN 9780756798529 and ISBN 0756798523.