Daniel is a fourteen-year-old Jewish boy from a comfortable family in Frankfurt, Germany. He takes over his uncle's role as the unofficial family photographer and uses his camera to document the marginalization of his community. Despite his youthful desire to play soccer and build model cars, he quickly adapts to a dangerous new reality. He learns to observe his surroundings closely and record evidence of the injustices around him.

Rosa is a plucky young woman from a wealthy family whose father formerly owned three fur shops. Now living in the ghetto, she is outspoken and active in youth group discussions about politics and resistance. She possesses a sharp sense of humor and a strong sense of justice, organizing workers to demand better food rations.

Erika is Daniel's twelve-year-old sister. She is quiet, shy, and much like their mother in temperament. She is a dedicated violinist who plays for the local orchestra, and her music brings comfort to her family. She consciously chooses to write cheerful melodies rather than sad ones to combat the bleakness of their situation.

Joseph is Daniel and Erika's father. As a veteran of World War I, he owns a successful hardware store in Frankfurt. He is highly knowledgeable about tools and trades, often providing expert advice to his customers. He treats his children maturely and relies on his practical skills to secure resources for his family.

Ruth is Daniel and Erika's mother. She previously worked as the accountant in Joseph's hardware store. She is fiercely protective of her children and deeply upset by their exclusion from public life. She focuses heavily on practical survival, ensuring her family packs their warmest clothes and carefully manages their rations.

Uncle Peter is Daniel's favorite uncle and the unofficial photographer for their extended family. He works as a teacher until he is dismissed due to anti-Jewish laws. He is a jovial man who tries to explain the complicated political rise of Adolf Hitler to his young nephew using terms a child can understand.

Auntie Leah is Ruth's older sister and Uncle Peter's wife. She is a strict but deeply loving mother to four young children. When her family is forced to move in with Daniel's, she displays fierce loyalty. She flatly refuses to comply with orders that would separate her from her youngest daughters.

Friedrich is Uncle Peter and Auntie Leah's oldest son. Being close in age to Daniel, the two boys bond over their shared experiences of marginalization. He makes a pact with Daniel to use photography as a way to document their ill-treatment.

Oma Miriam is Joseph's mother and Daniel's grandmother. She lives in a home for older people. She recognizes the severe danger of the current political climate early on. In an act of quiet rebellion, she sews Daniel a Hitler Youth uniform so he can safely travel outside in disguise.

Oma Rachel is Ruth's mother and Daniel's grandmother. She is deeply devoted to her extended family. Even when resources become incredibly scarce, she consistently sacrifices her own well-being by giving her food portions away to other family members.

Opa Samuel is Ruth's father and Daniel's grandfather. He represents the older generation of Jewish citizens in Frankfurt who face sudden displacement. His defining characteristic is his unwavering devotion to his wife, refusing to be separated from her.

Adam is a boy from the ghetto who speaks about horrifying realities in an unsettlingly calm manner. He is deeply involved in organized resistance efforts and recruits Daniel to help photograph camp operations. He possesses a calculated determination to fight back against his captors.

Karl is a communist political prisoner who operates a photography studio taking pictures of guards' families. He uses his position as a cover to organize resistance activities. He recruits Daniel as an assistant and acts as a mentor figure for him.

Peter is a boy from the Lodz ghetto who encounters Daniel during a brutal forced march. He lacks the resources and connections that Daniel and Joseph have, making him highly vulnerable. He holds onto a desperate dream of eventually traveling to Palestine.

This unnamed SS officer commands authority at the camp and presents two very different faces. In Karl's photography studio, he appears as a loving, ideal father to his two daughters. However, outside the studio, he callously shoots a child prisoner for a minor infraction.

Mr. Schneider is Daniel's public school teacher. He enthusiastically adopts and repeats antisemitic tropes to his students. His hostility prompts Daniel to rebel, leading to Daniel's expulsion from the public school system.

Hans is a non-Jewish boy who starts out as Daniel's best friend. As the political climate shifts, Hans begins to avoid Daniel's home and eventually fights him at school. His behavior demonstrates the immediate social impact of the new laws.

Uncle Walter is one of Joseph's brothers. He is an early advocate for leaving Germany, strongly believing that the Jewish people need a country of their own in Palestine. He frequently debates this with Daniel's parents.