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.