Rachel's War by Mark Wilson

The story of an Australian WWI nurse

"This story was inspired by the true story of Rachel Pratt, an Australian army nurse serving in France during World War I who was awarded the Military medal 'for service above and beyond the call of duty during an air raid on 4 July, 1917."

As with all Mark Wilson books it is clear the text and illustrations in this book have been meticulously researched. You can feel his passion about the importance of sharing this story. Rachel’s story is told gently but realistically, and evokes a sense of hope amidst the horrors of war. There is just enough information to teach and entertain without being overly distressing. 

"Rachel remembered her mother's words about being strong and working hard. She ... dreamed of one day being able to help people."

"Rachel and Elise not only treated soldiers coming in from the desert with battle wounds, but also typhoid fever and influenza. Some even had gangrene from frostbite, which often ended in amputation."

"Bombs exploded, one after the other. Then with a mighty crash, one exploded right behind Rachel."

In this book I appreciated the moral compass which Mark communicates when we read about Rachel’s reaction to the young Turkish soldiers.  The splashes of poppies on the end papers are both pretty but also perhaps echo the splashes of blood seen by the nurses on the battlefield. The page near the end where it seems that Rachel may have been killed was so powerful.  I was enormously relieved to read on and discover she survived – this shows that as a reader I was deeply invested into this emotional text.  

It is good to have the addition of the two fact pages at the end of the book but in addition to this, it would have been good to have a list of picture credits and a list of references for further reading which I think Mark has included with some of his other books. The cover is striking and shows the compassion of the nurse while behind her we see the exotic places she has travelled to (the pyramids) and the grim reality of marching soldiers. Every part of the design used in this book has been created with enormous care. 

Exquisite illustrations by the author, Mark Wilson, allow our hearts to be moved by the descriptive images – some in colour, others in black fine line pen. Kids' Book Review

Rachel’s War is one of the books that contributes to this history and the hidden stories, allowing them to come to life. The Book Muse

Wilson shows in both words and pictures, the hardships which confronted the nurses: shortages of basic equipment, food and sanitation as well as staff. Rachel and Elsie manage some incidental sightseeing in Egypt before being transferred to France but continue treating men with battle wounds and more complex health issues. Each of the girls suffers physical and mental traumas, including Rachel herself being wounded after a German bombing raid. Reading Time

Here are a small selection of picture books by Mark Wilson - all highly recommended:

His newest book will be released later this year:

Rachel's War is a 2022 CBCA Book of the Year Notables : Eve Pownall Award

Take a look at my previous post where I talk about another book that celebrates to role of nurses during war - The Flying Angel by Vicki Bennett illustrated by Tull Suwannakit.  

The Flying Angel by Vicki Bennett illustrated by Tull Suwannakit

Portrait depicting Sister Marie Craig. ART24278 - Australian War Museum

Blurb from the author website: After the return of her wounded father from WW1, a little girl had a dream to become a nurse. Marie Craig trained at the Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney and graduated in 1942. She joined the RAAF nursing service in 1943 and in early 1944, 15 nurses from the Royal Australian Air Force nursing service were handpicked for the 2nd unit of flying sisters who made up the No 2 MAETU. Nicknamed 'the flying angels', the unit was based in Papua New Guinea.

Here is a text sample to give you a flavour of this writing:

"The aeroplane is packed with injured soldiers. When we take off there isn't any room for me to sit, so I reach up and steady myself with a hand stirrup that swings from the ceiling. ... I give an oxygen bottle to each of the soldiers so they can breathe properly as we fly higher."

This book focuses on a small fragment of a larger and more complex story from a female perspective. The use of a first-person narrator is an excellent device which gives a truth and immediacy to the story and assists young readers to connect with events well beyond their experience. The themes of heroism, kindness, friendship, sacrifice and bravery are important ones and they are well served by this story. 

One tiny quibble - I do wish there were extra notes included at the back of the book as we have come to expect from other picture book war stories such as those by Mark Wilson. Only including the name of the nurse in the blurb on the back cover seems somehow insufficient. 

The sepia tones and tiny touches of colour work really well to give us a sense that this book is set during a different time in history. Shades of light and dark and subtle glimpses of colour create meaning and shifts in mood. The spread where Sister Marie is haloed in light inside the plane is beautiful, powerful and reaffirms the notion of the flying ‘angel’. I also liked the way the illustrations fill whole pages right to the edges. The collection of objects and photographs on the end papers add interest and demonstrate that the events in this book are based on real people.

Vicki Bennett captures the sense of family, friendship, and compassion during times of conflict, and highlights the remarkable efforts of nurses working in dire conditions to help soldiers during war. The text is eloquent and places readers firmly in the shoes of the nurses who left an indelible mark on surviving soldiers.  Reading Time

You can see inside this book on Tull Suwannakit's web page. I have a personal connection with this book - The Flying Angel. From 2012-2017 I visited an elderly man who had been a soldier in WWII and he served in Papua New Guinea. His name was Bert and I am dedicating this post to his memory. Here is a web page for Vicky Bennett.

Nurses in World War II - 5,000 Australian nurses served in a variety of locations, including the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Britain, Asia, the Pacific, and Australia. Seventy-eight died, some through accident or illness, but most as a result of enemy action or while prisoners of war.

Here is an extract from an exhibition at the Australian War memorial: Air evacuation became a quick and effective way to transport seriously wounded troops from the front line in New Guinea and the surrounding islands. In early 1944, 15 nurses recruited from the RAAFNS to the newly formed No. 1 Medical Air Evacuation Transport Unit (1 MAETU) began training in in-flight medicine and care, emergency survival procedures, and tropical hygiene.  Nicknamed “The Flying Angels”, flight teams comprising a sister and an orderly flew in Douglas C47s, carrying up to 18 stretcher cases at a time, from forward areas back to base hospitals in Australia. Within the first year of operation, some 8,000 patients had been evacuated.

This book might be useful for further reading:

Here is a link to teaching resources about the role of Nurses in War developed by the Australian War Memorial.

Companion reads (note these focus on World War One:

And to read more about the war in Papua New Guinea try to find this excellent book:

The Flying Angel is a CBCA 2022 Picture Book Notable title.

The Imagineer by Christopher Cheng illustrated by Lucia Masciullo

These objects of Grandpa’s—obsolete and out-of-fashion—are valued for the way they have fulfilled a need at a particular time and revered for the creativity of invention. Old things are interesting ...  Reading Time

Penny is an inventor. Penny is a maker. Penny loves to design interesting contraptions. She makes wonderful inventions but their apartment is very small. Then Penny is taken to visit her grandfather. His spacious house is filled with wonderful things from the past - things Penny has never seen. There is a wall mounted telephone; a pump organ; and a mechanical butter churn. Then Penny steps inside her grand father's shed and she is blown away. 

"And Penny was sure that these thingamajigs and whatchamacallits and fandanged contraptions ... would be useful."

The final fold out page will make you gasp when you see the way Penny has combined so many wonderful things found in her grandfathers shed into her new travelling machine. This is a page that you will want to explore very closely. 

I am not sure if I am correct but I think The National Library of Australia commission our well known Australian children's authors and illustrators to produce books which explore parts of their extensive collection. In the book I talked about yesterday Jane Jolly explored the history of Sikh's in Australia. In this book all of the objects from the National Library are carefully referenced with their catalogue number so you can explore further.  This makes for a rich resource which is sure to be very useful for Primary school classes who study history.

Taking a close look at the cover. Readers can anticipate the design and make or STEM aspect of this story but it is also clear the character is a child as evidenced by the letter ‘m’ in crayon. 

Reading this book is a rich experience. There are themes of perseverance; imagination; problem solving; curiosity; and inter-generational relationships.  I really appreciated the rich vocabulary - words such as massive; miniscule; flabbergasted; phantasmagorical; and pondered. And there are also delicious invented words such as incredibleacous; stupendorific; and whatchamacallits. The illustrations are carefully positioned on each page use a consistent and aesthetically pleasing colour palette. The end papers invite careful study. 

It is fun to explore the eclectic collection of treasures on the final pages such as 1907 wine and jelly press; the house fire engine from 1890; and the sad iron from 1907.

Chris Cheng has a trailer with terrific sound effects on his web site.  Here is a set of detailed teachers notes. 

Thinking about the theme of this book as an exploration of history through objects I also found this wonderful resource from the UK - Teaching History with 100 Objects. 

This book reminded me of a very old book - The Weird things in Nana's house.

You might also explore Bamboozled and Australian Kids Through the Years:

Bamboozled

Australian Kids Through the Years

If you are using The Imagineer with a group of older students try to find this picture book:

I think the history themes are the main focus of this book but you might think of The Imagineer as a book about STEM and inventors and so you could hunt for these:

The Imagineer is a 2022 CBCA Notable Picture Book.

Star of Anise by Jane Jolly illustrated by Di Wu

Image Source: Green Valley spices

Here is the dedication by Jane Jolly:

"To all the Sikhs, who have had the courage to leave their homelands and make a new life in Australia, bringing with them their rich culture. Australia is a greater place for it."

Annie and her brother are waiting for Bhawan Singh and his wagon to arrive. He always brings treasures to their remote farm. 

"Silks from Kashmir, soaps from Morocco, spices from Ceylon ... Annie could see what Dad would want. A work shirt. And Mum would want a bolt of Bhagwan's embossed silk from India to sew a dress."

But Annie is drawn to a beautiful beaded hair comb.  Both children enjoy some delicious spun sugar. Later that evening Bhagwan sets up his small camp. He cooks some delicious food. The food is flavoured with a tiny star. 

"Annie held it to her nose and sniffed. It smelt of liquorice and bark and faraway lands."

Blurb from The Book Garden: The hawker's wagon jingled and jangled as it came down the track ... Annie and Arthur have been eagerly awaiting Bhagwan Singh's next visit. What wondrous things will he have in his cart this time, among the silk and soap, spices and shirts? As the hawker makes his camp for the night, the children savour spun sugar and food from the Punjab, discovering the secret star anise. A gentle story about embracing different traditions, based on the stories of Sikh hawkers in Australia in the late 1800s.

This book contains an aspect of Australian history that may be unfamiliar to most young readers. There is so much cultural respect in this book from the description of the harnesses which are polished and have glistening brass buckles so we know the hawker cares for his equipment through to the way the little girl enjoys the taste of his delicious spicy food. She could so easily have rejected the strange flavours. 

One tiny thing seemed odd to me, though. The two children selected special objects from his wagon – a hair comb and penknife – but we are not told that they were able to buy these treasures and yet we know they were expecting to see them. This might make a good discussion topic with your class - focusing on needs versus wants and also thinking about the use of money by the family which is no doubt quite scarce in their remote location.  Here are a set of teaching notes to use with Star of Anise. 

It is good to see the inclusion of back matter which is easy to read and yet comprehensive enough to satisfy reader curiosity. This book is published by The National Library of Australia and there is a list of illustration credits included for further exploration. For example here is a photo of a Travelling Tinkers cart and here is a travelling draper.

The style of illustrations is very appealing especially the decorative flowers and leaves which adorn each page. Teachers will want to acquire some star anise to share with their students when they read this book and I hope they celebrate the heritage of students in their classes with the surnames listed in the book notes. It is also good to see the inclusion of Punjabi words. At first glance the end papers seem quite plain but on closer examination this appears to be a fabric pattern.

Star of Anise is a 2022 CBCA Notable Picture Book. 

Who are the Sikhs? Sikhs are an ethno-religious community founded over five hundred years ago by Guru Nanak, the first of the ten Sikh gurus, in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. Sikhs have lived in Australia in small numbers since the 1830s. ... Sikhs are perhaps most recognisable by our turbans. Turbans 4 Australia

I really appreciate the work Jane Jolly does to bring aspects of Australian history to life through her picture books. A few years ago I shared her book Glass Tears with a group of Grade Six students. I had no idea about the events which happened on a remote coast line in South Australia. 

Here are a few things I discovered about Glass Tears:

• The inspiration for Glass Tears came from a lonely grave on the cliff tops at Stenhouse Bay in South Australia that Jane Jolly first saw when she was on a camping trip many years ago.
• When Jane first read the story and saw the grave, it made her shiver. She could imagine the family of this young man who were so far away hearing of his death and making the bead bouquet for him. This was the starting point for her story. You can see the grave stone here. 

You might also try to find Ah Kee and the Glass Bottle illustrated by Di Wu. (This would be a wonderful book to share in 2022 which is The International Year of Glass).

If your school has a subscription to The Story Box library I recommend you take a look at these two books by Jane Jolly:

Tea and Sugar Christmas

Lucy and Cooper by Mandy Foot

Lucy loves her horse - Smudge. She has had him since he was a young horse and she was a tiny girl but Lucy is growing bigger and Smudge is growing older. Smudge is a small horse - too small for Lucy to ride and Smudge is finding it hard to move quickly. He can no longer manage to jump the way he used to. Pa has a new horse for Lucy. He is named Copper. Lucy does not want to ride this new horse but Copper has had a hard life. He needs her love and attention. Can Lucy learn to love Copper too?

This story gently covers themes of loss, change, memory, letting go and the animal human connection. The water colours and muted landscape backgrounds are very appealing. Lucy’s father is gentle and patient allowing Lucy to reach her own decision about her old and loved horse Smudge and the new arrival, Copper. Both horses have beautifully expressive faces. There’s a sense of tranquillity in the images and narrative. The past is portrayed using illustrations which are presented like photographs – snapshots of memories. Horse lovers will enjoy this book with its realistic and engaging story and predicament of saying goodbye and hello.  I agree with the comment on the back cover which say-  this is a story to warm the heart of every animal lover. 

The illustrations are presented in a variety of formats from full page, to spreads across double pages, and in small frames and as sequences. The water colours and muted backgrounds are very appealing.  

I have a Pinterest collection with over 90 novels and picture books for the horse lover in your family. Mandy Foot draws her horse characters in this book with great skill and sensitivity.  Here is her web site.When you dip into her pages you will discover Smudge is a real pony and he was the model for her book. Take a look at my post from 2019 about horses in Picture Books. 

Big Love by Megan Jacobson illustrated by Beck Feiner

Beginning in the home - "This is a house. It's a very big ... But it's not as big as my love for you." Take a step back to the town which is also big but "it's not as big as my love for you." Now onto the city, the world and the universe. 

This is not a new idea of course – Guess How much I love you by Sam McBratney always comes to mind when I see a book which tries to express the enormity of love felt by a parent for their child but Big Love is a worthy addition to this cannon.  

In this book, the digital art has been created with a skilled hand. The illustrator’s work as a graphic designer shines through. The illustrations are very appealing and vibrant and contain some wonderful touches of humour. I really like the way the text is positioned in interesting ways using the illustrations themselves as frames to hold the words. The contrast of busy pages with lots of action and text, followed by the quieter refrain pages, also work really well. 

The cover is very striking and I like the way the designer has used a raised text. The end papers are pretty but really just decorative although we do see this same flower design used on several pages. The way we read the text across the spread on the first double page adds interest.  I would have enjoyed seeing more use of this format. 

The inclusivity, where different types of families are portrayed, is done very naturally. Grandma on the laptop screen is especially contemporary and timely. The final page, with all those scattered bits and pieces, invites readers revisit the text and more importantly to enjoy a meaningful book conversation.

Big Love is a 2022 CBCA Notable book in the Early Childhood category. Here is a review from Children's Books Daily that is well worth reading. 

Take a look at my recent post - This Gift is for you where I mention other books which are designed to be shared between a parent and a child as a way to express deep love. 

The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld

Don’t miss this one. It’s irresistible. Seven Impossible things before Breakfast

 

One of the best things that can happen when you read a picture book is when the story takes a twist or a left turn that you did not see coming - a gasp aloud moment.  That is exactly what happened to me reading The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess.

The king and queen have no children. Yes we have read that in other classic fairy tales such as Thumbelia; The Fisherman and his Wife; and Tom Thumb. In this modern story the king consults with the royal inventor and the queen visits a clever old witch. Can you match this with the title? Yes the inventor makes a little wooden robot and, using a log from her wood pile, the witch makes a perfect little log princess. 

Both children are deeply loved but there is a small catch. When the log princess falls asleep each night she turns back into a log. Each morning it is vital to wake her with the magic words:

"Awake, little log, awake."

So every morning the wooden robot, her brother, carefully wakes up the log princess and then they enjoy their happy day together until ...  

Of course, like all great stories, we need a complication. Reading on, we discover that one morning the robot boy has been distracted by the arrival of circus. The maid can only see a log lying on the bed. Oh no! She tosses the log out of the window.  The log ends up in a wheelbarrow and then it is put onto a barge. 

"The robot ran to the barge. 'Please sir,' he said to the captain. 'My special log is in your barge. May I come aboard and search for it?"

Unfortunately the captain must set off for the far north. The robot does not find his sister on the journey so he is left on the shore with the huge pile of logs in a very cold place far, far from home. Luckily, late on the first night he finds the log that is his sister. Unluckily the pair are a very long way from their parents - the king and queen. And adding to the tension,  the robot decides it might be too frightening for his sister to awaken in this freezing place so he places her in a handcart and sets off home. 

In a series of small frames page we, the reader, are given a tiny glimpse of the little wooden robot's adventures. He encounter a Giant's Key, A Queen of Mushrooms, an Old Lady in a bottle and a Family of Robbers.  All of these could be used as writing inspiration with your students. 

Pulling the handcart is so exhausting and the wooden robot eventually collapses. 

"With the last of his strength he said the magic words."

Now it is his turn to ride in the handcart and again in a series of small frames we glimpse anther set of adventures. The log princess encounters some mischievous pixies, a haunted well, an enormous blackbird and a baby in a rosebush. 

Now for my oh no moment. As night falls the princess stops. She tries to stay awake but, yes you may have guessed, she turns back into a log. 

Meanwhile the king and queen are desperate to find their precious children. Luckily a family of beetles have been living inside the wooden robot. But is there a way the tiny insects can save the day?  And will we reach that all important happy ending?

You can see other pages from this book on Tom Gauld's web page. See more work by adult cartoonist Tom Gauld on his Instagram page. 

These are endearing characters. They hold a deep and abiding love for one another that never comes across as cloying. It’s a story with heart and adventure, and the stakes are high here. It will leave young readers gasping (the maid throws the log, who is really the princess, out of the window?!), eagerly turning pages to learn what will happen next ...  Seven Impossible things before Breakfast.

Gauld’s fairy tale feels both timeless and completely new; utterly fresh, yet like a story heard long ago and finally found again.  Enchanting. Kirkus Star review

But unlike traditional tales, this narrative contains no malevolent characters. Bad luck sets the plot spinning, and sibling love and the kindness of strangers help set everything to rights. The pictures demonstrate Gauld’s genius with simple-seeming line drawings and the crisp, clean use of ­cartoon-panel page design. Horn Book

The publisher of this book in the UK is Templar.  Here is a cake they had made to celebrate the publication of this book!

The Remarkable Pigeon by Dorien Brouwers

Pigeon can fly freely around the city.  One day he lands at the zoo. All of the birds at the zoo are in cages but pigeon can only marvel at their amazing qualities. Toucan has a beautiful beak; the ostriches have huge babies; hummingbirds can fly backwards; and flamingos can balance on one leg.

"The pigeon started to feel sad. It didn't seem to be very good at anything and it felt ... rather boring."

The pigeon looks at other birds - penguins, an owl, some colourful songbirds and a huge heron. Then the pigeon realises something we have known all along. He can fly! He can fly away! He can see the world and have adventures. 

At the back of this book there is a picture glossary with further details about each of the birds including the pigeon - he is actually quite a remarkable bird. This book has the BEST end papers - filled with a glorious collection of feathers in every colour of the rainbow. 

The idea of comparing yourself with others is not a new one and it is explored in other picture books but this one has the most beautiful illustrations so I do recommend you consider adding The Remarkable Pigeon to your school library collection. As a bonus the paperback version of this book is very reasonably priced at under $18. If you want to explore the topic of being true to yourself try to find If Only by Mies van Hout; Frog is Frog by Max Velthuijs; Feathers for Phoebe by Rod Clement and Be who You are by Todd Parr.

The art in The Remarkable Pigeon book is, as I have already said, very special. It reminds me of art by Ruth Brown. Take a look here to see inside this book. 

Here is the publisher blurb from Salariya: When a pigeon visits the aviary, he feels very inferior to all of the other species of birds he encounters, with their colourful plumage and magnificent wingspans. But eventually the pigeon realises that he has something the other birds don’t – his freedom! The Remarkable Pigeon is a thought-provoking and stunningly-illustrated picture book that will enchant children and teach them the importance of not always comparing oneself to others and appreciating what one has. The large format is perfect for allowing parent and child to read along together and speak about the story.

Dorien Bowers is a graphic designer. The Remarkable Pigeon is her first picture book. 

Over the last few years there have been some terrific picture book stories about pigeons - especially Gary which was short listed for the CBCA Early Childhood Book of the Year award in 2017. 

Gary

Dr Coo and the Pigeon Protest

Lofty's Mission

A Brief History of Underpants by Christine van Zandt illustrated by Harry Briggs

Yes - this a book about underwear. It will amaze you. It might shock you. It most certainly will give you a laugh. There are four chapters - Crusty old buns; Underpants around the world; Cheeky inventions; and Tushes today worldwide. See what I mean - even the chapter headings are funny and a little bit naughty.

Can you see the little wheel on the side of this cover. Readers are invited to spin the wheel to see different types of, gasp, underwear!

Sure there are tons of facts in this book but at its heart this is just a book to enjoy for fun. 

What is it about underpants that cracks us up?

How long has underwear been under there?

What's behind today's styles?

Who started the hole thing?

Publisher Blurb: A Brief History of Underpants explores the history of underwear with zany facts and illustrations. The cover features an interactive reveal wheel that turns to show underwear through the ages.  From bloomers to boxers, everyone wears underwear! One part humor, one part history, A Brief History of Underpants explores the evolution of fashions most unmentionable garment. Gain a whole new understanding of underthings as you:

• Learn which ruler was buried with over 100 pairs of underwear.

• Discover how people kept their underclothes from falling off before elastic was invented.

• Find out why some underwear was made from feathers.

• And much, much more!

Zany illustrations add to the humour, and step-by-step instructions teach real dyeing and washing techniques used hundreds of years ago. Interact with the topic directly by turning the reveal wheel on the front cover to see underwear evolve through the ages.

Full of puns and cheeky asides, Christine Van Zandt’s A Brief History of Underpants uncovers fascinating facts about these garments we take for granted while also revealing tidbits of historical, cultural, and societal traditions from earliest times to the present. Van Zandt’s breezy writing, punctuated by lots of “ewww”-inspiring descriptions, will keep kids laughing and learning and even the most reluctant reader riveted to the pages. Celebrate Picture Books

Here is a chapter by chapter set of discussion questions to use with this book. 

I do have a Pinterest collection of other books related to another aspect of this topic - "Fun stuff that comes from our bodies". Take a look at this post by my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything where she talks about, of all the most crazy things, National Underwear Day. 

Here are a few more books about Underwear:

Polar Bear's Underwear