Montana Author Molly Wilmington's "Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Teacher Who Became a Spy" Is a Children's Book About a True Hero

The word “hero” might get thrown around a lot lately - especially to describe caped crusaders and bat/spider/super men - which can make it challenging for us parents (and grandparents) to teach our kids what heroes really are, or should be. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Teacher Who Became a Spy is a wonderful, vibrantly illustrated new book by Montana author Molly Wilmington, and it presents the perfect opportunity to teach our little ones the true meaning of the word.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer makes a compelling subject for young readers because his story distills complex moral questions into something fundamentally clear: what do you do when staying safe means staying silent about terrible wrongs?

This German pastor and teacher refused to go along with the Nazis even when most of his country did, eventually joining a plot to stop Hitler despite knowing the likely cost. His heroism isn't the flashy kind, but rather the steady courage of someone who chose principle over comfort, resistance over compliance, and ultimately paid for that choice with his life just weeks before the war ended. For children who need role models in their stories, Bonhoeffer offers something valuable: a real-world example of moral courage that doesn't oversimplify the choices involved.

Molly Frye Wilmington brings an unusually robust academic background to children's publishing, having studied English and children's literature at Baylor, ethics at Notre Dame's Vita Institute, and theology at Duke, credentials that serve her well in tackling a subject as complex as Dietrich Bonhoeffer for young readers.

She's spent over two decades in academic settings and now works as a Community Engagement Director leading health education programs, giving her extensive hands-on experience with how children actually engage with ideas. What's distinctive about her approach is that she didn't write this book from abstract research but from a personal frustration: she wanted to tell her own young children about Bonhoeffer but couldn't hold their attention, and couldn't find a picture book that did the job. So she created one herself, drawing on the playful tradition of writers like Robert Quackenbush (of the accident-prone Henry the Duck fame) and using a sheepdog puppy narrator named Shep to keep the tone accessible while exploring serious themes.

Living in Montana with her theologian husband and two children, Wilmington writes from within a family culture that values both storytelling and wrestling with difficult moral questions—making her well-positioned to bridge the gap between children's natural love of narrative and the weighty historical material she's chosen to tackle.

Marcin Piwowarski's illustrations strike an effective balance between the book's darker historical realities and its accessibility for young readers. His soft, watercolor-influenced style brings warmth to scenes that could otherwise feel overwhelming—domestic moments sit alongside prison cells, radio broadcasts blend with covert spy work. Piwowarski has a knack for what he calls mixing "magical and mysterious ambiance with down to earth elements of every-day reality," an approach that serves this book particularly well.

The illustrations never sensationalize the violence or danger, but they don't shy away from showing the stakes either: the shadowy prison, the backyard burial of smuggled letters, the tension in Bonhoeffer's public warnings. As a single father of three who's illustrated over a thousand children's books, Piwowarski understands what holds young attention while treating serious subject matter with appropriate gravity.

This book launches the "Here I Am!" biography series, which introduces young readers to Christians throughout history who lived out their faith with courage and conviction. The upcoming titles feature C. S. Lewis, Lottie Moon, and Lulu Fleming, offering children a range of stories from different times and places. By starting with Bonhoeffer's story of a teacher who became a spy, the series signals its intent to present real people who faced genuine challenges rather than simplified saints. It's a solid foundation for parents and educators looking for biographies that take both faith and history seriously.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Teacher Who Became a Spy is available wherever fine books are sold in Montana, or online here: https://www.amazon.com/Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Teacher-Became-Here/dp/1087757746/