Brief Description: Short illustrated vignettes featuring true animal war heroes.
Geographical Setting: Afghanistan, Africa, Asia, Burma, China, Czechia, Czechoslovakia, England, Europe, France, Gallipoli, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Korea, London, Middle East, Myanmar, Netherlands, New York, New York City, North America, North Sea, Northern Ireland, Oceans of the World, Scotland, Singapore, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Verdun
Historical Era: 20th Century
Date Range: 1914-2011
Keywords: 9/11 Terrorist Attack, Afghanistan War, Animals, birds, Chinese Civil War, Cold War, dogs, French Resistance, Horses, Irish Troubles, Korean War, London Blitz, Sergeant Reckless, World War I, World War II
Original Publication: 2014
Suitable for Grades: 4-6th
Target Audience: Middle Grade
Librarian's Review
For any young animal lover curious about the ways animals can help their humans, this compilation of true stories of animal war heroes covers the period from World War I to modern times. Most of the stories are about dog heroes, but there are some tales of birds and horses, and even one cat and one bear! Most of the stories take place in the world wars, but some later events are covered. All of the stories involve war of some kind. Each chapter contains the story of one animal hero (and its human partners), and each can be read independently of all the others. The colored illustrations by Kerry Hyndman for each story feature a portrait of the animal hero, and maybe another scene depicted in the accompanying text. This is a good introduction for young readers to the horrors of war without being overly detailed or graphic.