Spies in the Sky by Beverley McWilliams illustrated by Martina Heiduczek

 

Before you read this book I suggest you might try to find these picture books and also do some reading about the Dickin Medal. 

32 pigeons received the Dickin Medal–the animal equivalent of a Medal of Honor–for their service in World War II.

Here is my post about War Animal Remembrance Day - 24th February. 

Lofty's Mission

And after reading Spies in the sky try to find this one:

I Spy A Bletchley Park Mystery

And for a different perspective on animals and war this is another terrific story:

The Umbrella Mouse

Royal Blue is a racing pigeon. He comes from a long line of champions but he is living through the dark days of World War II and so his destiny is to do more than race, he is needed for the war effort. Blue is taken from his comfortable loft and sent to an army base where he is given training from aircraft. He will be used to take messages back to the UK if a plane crashes or lands in enemy territory and later he is used in Fance as a way to gather intelligence about the movements of the German army. 

"Between April 1941 and September 1944, pigeons were parachuted in baskets into the occupied territories of France, Belgium and Holland. Attached to their baskets were questions to gather information from those living under occupied rule. This scheme was called Operation Columba. Of the 16,000 used in this campaign, less than one in eight returned."

You can read chapter one here. Here is a link to the teachers notes. 

I adopted a rescued pigeon around 10 years ago and while I was searching for a name, I came across a list of pigeons awarded the Dickin Medal for their service during World War Two. I knew pigeons had played a part in the war, but until then I was unaware of the National Pigeon Service or how many lives were saved by these remarkable birds. The more I looked into the history, the more fascinated I became. I wrote an article called ‘Feathered Heroes’ for The School Magazine, and I knew then that I would love to develop the ideas into a children’s book. Beverley McWilliams (Novel Insight subscription needed to read this article). 

Spies in the Sky is another moving and eye-opening tale based on a true story, this time focussing on the brave pigeons tasked with carrying messages during World War II. The story is told directly from Royal Blue’s perspective, immersing readers in his experience and inspiring deep empathy for the bird. McWilliams clearly has a sincere love for her subject, and it’s brilliantly contagious in this compassionate tale. You can’t help but come away with a heightened respect for and understanding of pigeons and the enormous sacrifices they have made to aid humans in need. Better Reading

It is clear Beverley McWilliams did a huge amount of research for her book. I recently listed to a radio program where they talked about the way Pigeons were launched out of planes high in the sky inside paper bags. This is not mentioned in Spies in the Sky but I found it fascinating. 

Even though the Army had designed special drop boxes for pigeons, it was discovered that they could be released from planes in thin, paper-like bags and survive just the same. A slit was cut into a bag, the pigeon placed headfirst, and then thrown from high altitudes at 375 miles per hour. The bird would emerge from the bag and fly down to a better altitude before returning home. Military Person.com

Image Source: National Air and Space Museum

I wonder why Martina Heiduczek is not named on the cover or title page.  She has added some terrific illustrations to this book.

In 2022 I read another book The Reindeer and the Submarine by Beverley McWilliams (Pantera Press). I found Spies in the Sky was easier to read and more engrossing and I think Beverley McWilliams newest title we see listed as a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Notable title for 2024 - Younger Readers. 

Koala Ark by Stephen Michael King

"It came fast and without warning. The smouldering embers drifted into a smoky mist. There was great concern for the billabong friend."

The bushfire has arrived. Koala has a boat - an ark - and he sets off to collect all of his friends so they can be taken to a safe place. 

An ark! The original ark was filled with animals gathered by Noah - but in this book the disaster is not a flood it is a huge bushfire and the hero is not a man, it is a small, but heroic koala.

I love the spare text in this book and the hand drawn, fine line illustrations which on every page beautifully extend the text. Every face in this book conveys enormous emotion. Readers from other countries will be introduced to words such as billabong and Australian animals such as the Hopping Mouse, galah, bowerbird, tawny frogmouth, lorikeets, black cockatoos, and the bandicoot. 

The opening end paper of Koala Ark is presented as an aerial or bird's eye view of small islands near the coast of the Southern Ocean. Each area is inhabited by a different  group of animals. The landscape is lush and green. Then on the next page there is a huge orange and yellow image. You may immediately think, as I did, of fire.  On the title page we can see koala island and koalas enjoying their daily life but something is coming - a bushfire. On the final end paper the viewer zooms in even closer and it is clear the danger has passed and the koalas are once again able to enjoy their small patch of precious habitat.  The end paper images in Koala Ark reminded me of the images by Stephen Michael King for the story Up the Creek from Beetle Soup by Robin Morrow illustrated by Stephen Michael King (1997). 

Read the true life events that inspired Stephen Michael King to write this book. Sales of this book will be used to support: Koalas in Care  and Aussie Ark/ Koala Ark Project.

Companion reads:

You could also compare the bushfire images in Koala Ark with an earlier book by Stephen Michael King - Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle:

Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle

Take a look at my Pinterest collection of picture books about Bushfires here in Australia.

Rip to the rescue by Miriam Halahmy

London, 1940. Jack is one of the few kids who is not evacuated from the city. He lives with his dad who has been badly wounded during WWI, his mum who is struggling to keep the family fed and Jack also cares for his grandfather who lives close by. Every night bombs fall onto London. Jack and a friend have signed up to be messenger boys. 

Wikipedia: Police Auxiliary Messengers (PAMS) were operational in the UK during World War 2. Young lads under the age of eighteen with their own bikes were employed by local police forces with the primary role of taking messages during and after air raids if telephone communication was not practicable.  I found this short documentary film made in 1942.

Jack talks about working for the air raid wardens: Often Boy Scouts or Boys' Brigade members aged between 14 and 18 as messengers or runners would take verbal or written messages from air raid wardens and deliver them to either the sector post or the control centre. Bombing would sometimes cut telephone lines and messengers performed an important role in giving the ARP services a fuller picture of events.

Publisher blurb: It’s 1940 and Nazi bombs are raining down on London, but 13-year-old bike messenger Jack has just discovered something unbelievable: a stray dog with a surprising talent. Jack navigates the smoky, ash-covered streets of London amid air raid sirens and falling bombs, dodging shrapnel and listening for cries for help, as a bike messenger for fire crews. When Jack finds a dog, miraculously still alive after the latest Nazi bombing of London, he realises there’s something extra special about the shaggy pup–he can smell people who are trapped under debris. With his new canine companion, nicknamed Rip because of the dog’s torn ear, maybe Jack can do more than just relay messages back-and-forth–he can actually save lives. And if Jack’s friend Paula is right about the impending Nazi invasion, he and Rip will need to do all they can to help Jewish families like hers. There’s just one problem: Jack has to convince his ill-tempered father to let him keep Rip.

Jack himself is deaf in one ear and this gives him a special affinity with his new dog and his torn ear. It also makes him very wary of making new friends because he has been very badly bullied at school but in this time of war and danger new friends are so important. 

Read more plot details here.

I do wish this book had a reference or further reading list. A map of the area in London could be useful too.

This is a gripping story of heroism made all the more interesting because it is based on a real dog called Rip. The relationship between Jack and his dad is harrowing at times because his dad has what we now call PTSD.  I recommend this book for readers aged 10+. 

Strangely I feel that I have read a similar book to Rip to the rescue about a small dog and London in WWII and the rescue of people trapped after the bombings but I simply cannot recall the title. If you have a suggestion I'd love to know - please add it to the comments.

Read more about the Dickin medal which is award to animal heroes. Here is some information about Rip himself. I found an interview with Miriam Halahmy where she talks about her books.  

Companion books:

While the storm rages

The Dog with Seven Names

Saving Hanno

The dogs of Winter

The ANZAC puppy

The Magic Ball of Wool by Susanna Isern illustrated by Nora Hilb translated by Jon Brokenbrow

One night a ball of wool lands on a sleeping hedgehog. In the morning a spider sees the wool and suggests the hedgehog might like to use it for knitting.  In the following scenes (as you may have seen in the wonderful book Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett) the hedgehog makes special and kind garments for his forest friends. 

He makes a sweater for a small mouse; fancy mittens for the frog; a big balaclava for his friend the bear and one hundred socks for the centipede. But as each gift is given something magic happens. The wool is able to grant wishes and so the sweater turns into delicious cheese; the mittens become a mirror; the balaclava is now a huge sea shell and those hundred socks turn into castanets!

All of this is great fun but now comes the twist. A crab arrives. He needs a strong rope because a huge blue whale is stranded on the beach. What can hedgehog do? There is only one tiny piece of wool left. Luckily the forest animals are compassionate. They arrive at hedgehogs door and return their magic gifts. Now all that hedgehog has to do is pull the thread from each gift and he will have the whole ball of wool again. Now you have probably guessed that the whale is indeed rescued and hedgehog is able to knit the strong rope but you will gasp when you see the rope is transformed into something completely unexpected - a butterfly.

Here are some activities to use with The Magic Ball of wool. 

The Magic Ball of Wool was originally published in Spanish with the title El ovillo mágico in 2013. I did find a paperback edition of the English translation published in 2019 and this may be available.

The Magic Ball of wool won a Silver Medal in 2013 in the Moonbeam awards.

The Moonbeam contest began in 2006 as a way to open up awards in children’s publishing to all types of publishers and genres. By developing a contest that would recognise winners in each of the nuanced categories of children’s publishing, it was hoped to bring attention to the under-sung children’s books and their creators who fell between the cracks in larger, more general contests.

I talked about Susanna Isern in a previous post where I explored her book A Mystery in the Forest.

Here is a collection of books which feature knitting called Yarn Yarns from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything. Knitting is a fun mini theme to use with classes in Kindergarten up to Year 2 especially if you can take along a little knitting, wool and knitting needles to show the children how knitting works. Take a look at some other books by Argentinian illustrator Nora Hilb.

Only a Donkey by Celeste Walters illustrated by Patricia Mullins

 

The animals of the farm treat the small donkey with contempt. Donkey dreams about a journey to a special place - a place of magic. When he sets off the next morning the farm animals follow him but their harsh words continue. As they walk along the grumbling and unkindness grows. They are even unkind to one another. 

"He's too muddleheaded to be on his own.' And all the animals laughed."

"They yowled and they growled and they stamped and they spat ... "

But the donkey says one powerful word - WAIT. The donkey has bought the animals to a statue. It is a statue of a humble donkey. Now the story voice changes.  The statue donkey speaks. He is the donkey who worked with Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick. Together they carried hundreds of soldiers to safety at Gallipoli. The statue can be seen near the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.

Image Source: City Collection Melbourne

Blurb: At the farm, the donkey is teased by the other animals - especially the bull! Then one night the donkey has a magical dream. The following day they all set out on a most amazing journey. This uplifting story of humility, courage and compassion weaves in the heroic Anzac legend of Simpson and the Donkey.

Next week, when I visit the Book Bunker at Westmead Children's Hospital, I will have the chance to read a picture book to the children from the hospital school.  I am excited to do this but also fairly nervous because we never know who is coming until the children arrive and they can be aged as young as five up to eleven.  Anzac Day falls two days before this visit so the Book Bunker coordinator suggested I should read an ANZAC book.  There are plenty to choose from but finding one that covers such a huge range of ages is tricky.  

Tonight I reread The Anzac Puppy by Peter Millett illustrated by Trish Bowles and Anzac Ted by Belinda Landsberry. I think Anzac Ted might be too complex for a short session. I am not sure if there would be time to scaffold words like foe, ridicules, and woes.  The Anzac Puppy is a heartwarming story but again I am not sure about reading it to the youngest children. Here are two text extracts:

"Trapped in their grimy prison, Sam and Freda shared everything they had ..."

"The long cold nights at the front soon turned into long, terrifying months."

I think I will share Only a Donkey by Celeste Walters illustrated by Patricia Mullins with the children next week. If you want some other picture books based around the story of Simpson and his donkey these books are sure to be found in Australian Primary school libraries:

Here is my earlier post about ANZAC Day books and my Pinterest collection which contains some newer titles.

War Animal Remembrance Day 24th February

Tomorrow (24th February) is War Animal Remembrance Day.  There are some terrific picture books you can use to explore the animals who were heroes of various wars and conflicts. My interest in this topic began when I read Lofty's Mission by Krista Bell illustrated by David Miller.  I was so interested to read about the Dickin Medal which began in 1943. It has been awarded to 32 pigeons, 31 dogs, 4 horses and one cat.

Here are some books you might like to hunt out:

People are asked to wear purple poppies to commemorate this day.

The purple poppy is often worn to remember animals that have been victims of war.

Animals like horses, dogs and pigeons were often drafted into the war effort, and those that wear the purple poppy feel their service should be seen as equal to that of human service.

In particular, many horses were killed or injured in World War One.

The Dogs of Winter by Bobbie Pyron

"After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the social and economic fabric of Russia was left in tatters. Gone were the government controlled systems such as health care, rent control and pensions that had provided a safety net of families, children, the elderly and those living on the edge of economic stability." Authors Notes page 304

Ivan has a happy life with his mother and grandmother but after his beloved Babushka Ina dies everything changes. His mother gets involved with a violent man and little Mishka, as his mother calls him, is banished, starved and bashed. Mishka's mother disappears and the bad man takes him to the city and abandons him.

Life on the streets is utterly dreadful. The violence, the hunger, the filth. The writing in this book is so vivid I felt every pang of hunger, every bruise and every angry word. I also felt great relief when Mishka experiences a little kindness and when he is given clothes and shoes. Finally Mishka finds a small pack of dogs. He notices the dogs share the food they find in the trash. He earns their trust and by working together Mishka and his band of dogs survive for 2 years through bitter winter cold, rain and constant danger. His relationship with this pack of dogs is truly special.

The Dogs of Winter is based on a true story. At times this is a harrowing story and so I would suggest it is for ages 11+. In this video Bobbie Pyron talks about her book.

You can read more about the background to this story in this article from The Adelaide Advertiser. Eva Hornung has also written about Ivan in her book Dog Boy.

This morning I thought I would just dip into this book which I borrowed from a school library. I lifted my head and realised I had devoured 85 pages. Late today I finished the whole book!

You can read a generous extract at Booktopia. The Dogs of Winter was published in 2012 by Scholastic. It is still in print. The second cover above is from the UK edition published by Andersen Press.

Read some reviews for more plot details:

The Bookbag
Kirkus Star Review
Ms Yingling Reads - I am so happy Karen loved this book too! She says: "I felt cold and could practically feel my scalp itch when Mishka had a lice infested hat! Without ever lapsing in to oversentimentality, Pyron describes the privations of life on the streets and the love that the dogs and Mishka feel for each other."

Further reading for children interested in this topic - this book is out of print but it might be in a school library.

Akiak A tale from the Iditarod by Robert J Blake

I recently saw a copy of Little Devils by Robert J Blake and I was captivated by the wonderful illustrations and story about our little Tasmanian devils - unlikely heroes for a story especially by an American author.  I looked for more books by Robert J Blake and found Akiak. This book appealed to me because as a young child I loved books by Jack London such as Call of the Wild and White Fang.

Akiak is based on a true story. There are maps on the opening pages showing the route for the Iditarod Race.

"A musher must stop and sign in at each check point ... take a twenty-four-hour stop at some point during the race ... An injured, stick or fatigued dog may be dropped at a designated dog drop ... A dropped dog may not be put back in harness and may not run next to the team."

Akiak does not know all these rules.  This is her eight attempt at this race. "She had bought them in fifth, third and second, but had never won."

Everything is going well until sadly on day four Akiak is seen to be limping. Her pawpads are damaged. Mick reluctantly leaves Akiak to be flown home. Of course this cannot happen. Akiak needs to race, she needs to win. She escapes from the handlers and heads off alone to catch up with the race. The race volunteers know she will stick to the trail but all their attempts to catch her fail. By day nine she is just two hours behind her team. "A crowd lined the trail to watch her run through the town." She finally catches up and while she cannot go back into the lead harness she can ride in the sled! "As sure as if she had been in the lead position, Akiak won the Iditarod Race."

This is a perfect book for dog lovers.  I would pair Akiak with Stone Fox.  I am very keen to read more books about husky dogs by Robert J Blake especially Togo, Swift and Painter and Ugly.

Read some reviews
Kirkus
Carol Hurst
Publishers Weekly

The ANZAC Puppy by Peter Millett and Trish Bowles

When I read The ANZAC Puppy I did not let myself turn to the back.  I really wanted this to be a true story and YES it is. Lucy puts her little puppy by the side of the road with a sign that says "puppy free to a good home".  What she does not know is that a young soldier will walk by on his way to war.

Sam picks up the puppy and he makes an important promise to Lucy to bring the puppy back safe and sound.  Lucy tells Sam her puppy is called Freda.  At first the puppy is small enough to fit inside Sam's pocket but over the coming months we watch her grow as Sam suffers through the awful conditions of trench warfare.

"Trapped in their grimy prison, Sam and Freda shared everything they had; their blankets, their bully beef, biscuits and water - even their fleas!"

Freda gives Sam a reason to survive and someone to love.  Finally after weeks have turned into months and months into years the war ends.  "Sam was no longer a boy and Freda was no longer a puppy."  Sam arrives at Lucy's house but she has changed too, into a beautiful young woman.  Can you guess what happens next?

The final pages of this warm book fill in all the historical details about a mascot dog - a Harlequin Great Dane called Freda.  With the 100 years anniversary of World War I we are looking for books to share at school and this one is perfect for our younger students.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

“They say he was born with his eyes open. Some of the mice pulled away from Despereaux in disgust, and others, thrill seekers, reached out to touch him with a whisker or a paw.”

Why is this sentence so memorable, why is it so powerful? I think two words are the strength of this section – thrill and whisker. All the writing in the Tale of Despereaux gives the sensation of words as jewels, sparkling on the page.

Here is another lovely example:

“The mouse father put Despereaux down on a bed made of blanket scraps. The April sun, weak but determined, shone through a castle window and from there squeezed itself through a small hole in the wall and placed one golden finger on the little mouse.”

And now we have the movie. I have such mixed feelings when a loved children’s book is made into a movie. I fear that the lovely words might be lost. I have not yet seen the movie of Despereaux by Kate Di Camillo because I wanted to re-read this beautifully written tale of heroism, mice, rats, princesses and soup. I was not disappointed by the book.

I have loved the writing of Kate DiCamillo for years since reading Because of Winn Dixie and The Tiger Rising. Both of these books are certainly in my top twenty all-time favourites list. The Tale of Despereaux is such a different genre from these two, but it is equally powerful and important.

My other fear about children’s books made into movies it that parents and children will not know there ever was a book in the first place. Many people do not know Dick King Smith wrote a simple little tale called The Sheep Pig but they have seen the movie Babe. Talking to some mums recently I discovered they were not aware Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg along with The Polar Express are also marvelous books.

Yet despite these fears I also avidly seek movies from books. Recently I saw I was a Rat by Phillip Pullman listed in a television guide and in Google videos I discovered a movie of The Christmas Miracle of Jonathon Toomey (see previous blog entry) which looks fabulous and another of Westlandia by Paul Fleischman.

One of my favourite cultural experiences in recent years is attending Little Big Shots, the film festival for children. It only runs for a few days but there are so many amazing films including many based on children’s books.

I will leave these blog musings with another quote from The Tale of Despereaux as an example of the fine language.

(The king bent over) to look more closely at Despereaux, one ear, two tears, three enormous king-sized tears fell with an audible plop onto Despereaux’s head and rolled down his back, washing away the white of the flour and revealing his own brown fur. ‘Sir. Most Very Honored Head Person, sir.’ said Despereaux as he wiped the kings tears out of his own, ‘She’s in the dungeon.’. 

If you are looking for other mouse or rat heroes you might try Poppy by Avi and all the great sequels and Time stops for no mouse by Michael Hoeye and the sequels these, like Despereaux, are books I would love to get into the hands of all children.

Time stops for no mouse