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The Story House

Jun24
The Story House

The Story House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Story House

Vikki Conley

Jennifer Falkner

New Frontier, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781923145979

To some, the prospect of living where there are no schools, no teachers, no walls might sound like heaven on a stick, but when those familiar things have disappeared, replaced by the sights, sounds and dangers of war those who take their sanctuary for granted, who may wish they, themselves, were not constrained by them, may also discover the meaning of “be careful what you wish for.”

Lalee’s world is one of no schools or teachers or walls, but in a bomb-shattered  building there were stories… Each day Hani, who remembered a time before the war, came to tell the children of famous singers, of long-ago travellers who ate exotic things like seafood and spaghetti, of a marble city – even stories of a time when girls could become doctors and teachers – stories that “pushed the smell of fire out through the broken roof…plugged the holes [and] silenced the rumbles that echoed across the land.” Stories that inspired her thoughts and her imagination, stories that she creates using the sticks, bark, flowers and so forth that she finds around her, stories that she recalled and shared as she pounded the maize, shielded her sister, and collected the water from the village pump.  Until the day the thundering trucks rolled into the village… and her own story begins to unfold.

Accurately described by the publisher as a “lyrical, heart-filled tribute to imagination, hope and the magic of books”, this is another of Vikki Conley’s stories born from her work with World Vision, which include Amira’s Suitcase  and Under the Red Shawl.  Dedicated by Conley to “the children of Somalia who had never seen a book until I placed one in their hands”, it opens up a world of how other children live where war and conflict is their norm, far beyond the familiarity and comfort of the daily routine of school that Australian children know. What things do they take for granted in their daily life that are unheard of, even unknown to the children in Lalee’s village? At the same time, what things do they share that connect children wherever they live, like the intangibles of needing to have friends, playing together, seeing the beauty in Nature? Falkner’s illustrations often incredible riches for these sorts of compare and contrast activities such as the little lad doing the handstand while waiting in line at the village water pump.

As Hani’s stories allow Lalee’s imagination to wander, even soar, perhaps dream, how do they help her build her resilience, and for a short time at least, escape the reality around her? What stories inspire their hopes, wishes and dreams? If they were Hani, what stories might they share?

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

But, just as importantly, it opens up the world that some of their classmates may have endured, perhaps sparking the beginning of understanding, compassion and acceptance, particularly at a time when xenophobic politics seems to be gathering momentum and children lern whatthey live..   Extensive teaching notes which encourage teachers to focus on ” resilience, creativity, community and joy in learning” can offer guidance in making this more than just a one-off read so that it becomes a learning experience for all, rather than a trigger for those who may have lived it.  Indeed, handled sensitively, those experiences could become the most valuable part of the sharing and building of knowledge and insight.

The Not So Quiet Life of Marcel Marceau

Jun20
The Not So Quiet Life of Marcel Marceau

The Not So Quiet Life of Marcel Marceau

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Not So Quiet Life of Marcel Marceau

Jenn Bailey & Sherry Bushue

Pamela Zagarenski

A & U Children’s, 2026

48pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781761182945

A little over 100 years ago, in 1923, a little boy was born to an immigrant Jewish couple in Strasbourg, France – a little lad whose name is still instantly recognised by so many around the world as being the master of mime, the ability to share an emotion or tell an entire story through facial expressions, body movements, and gestures with no need for words. But for all that that little boy transfixed audiences with his storytelling, his own story was even greater…

The person we now know as Marcel Marceau was born into a world where the movie was beginning to boom but the science of adding sound was only beginning, names like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Mary Pickford and Clara Bow were household names, and stories were told on the screen through movement, often accompanied by live music to set the scene and the atmosphere.  He was fascinated by these stars of mimicry and began to emulate them by imitating everything -“birds, people, plants, and even the wind.” But there was a much louder noise than the development of synchronised soundtracks and sound effects in the movies brewing.  For all around Marcel’s homeland of France, and particularly his hometown on the French-German border, the voices of war were growing louder, the persecution of Jews growing more outrageous and the danger to the young Marcel Mangel and his family ever increasing…

Even if the reader is not familiar with the name and fame of Marcel Marceau, this is an intriguing story of how a young teenager put his talents of art, acting and mimicry to work to save thousands of lives that is going to captivate them, particularly in these days of anti-Semitism rising again.  While there have always been those who actively discriminate against those whose beliefs are different, this may be their first introduction to just how extreme things can become and why there is such concern, if not fear, as the rise of the far right once again gathers momentum.  The actions taken against the Jewish people are painted with a light brush within the story, but expanded in the biographical notes at the end, and while it is Marcel’s activities that are the story’s focus, they only occurred because of the background against which they were set.

Using a soft palette that evokes a sense of calm and determination, despite the outside-world context, Caldecott winner Zagarenski’s illustrations complement the text perfectly as it tells the story as it unfolded, using the present tense and language that is unsensational but draws the reader in to find out more, striking a balance between “brushstrokes and bombs”. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Those with a greater knowledge of art, artistic techniques and their symbolism will be able to draw so much more than I from the images, ideas that will add so much to the story for those who are more mature, but for the younger reader this is a biography that has the power to reveal new horizons, reading journeys and ethical questions.  Who was Marcel Marceau? What is mime? What is anti-Semitism? Why is it rising? What was the Holocaust? Is it ever okay to break the law? If they were faced with the dilemma that Marcel faced, what would be their response? What have they learned from Marcel’s story that might help them make a difference now?

For those who want to know more NOW, there are movies and video clips readily available as well as these links to get started…

Jewish Gems – How Legendary French Mime Marcel Marceau Rescued Orphans During WWII

The French Resistance’s Secret Weapon? The Mime Marcel Marceau

Silent Saviour: How Marcel Marceau Used Mime to Save Lives in WWII

 

 

The Flower Garden – A Changi Secret

Apr2
The Flower Garden - A Changi Secret

The Flower Garden – A Changi Secret

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Flower Garden – A Changi Secret

Claire Saxby

Lucia Masciullo

Walker Books, 2026

32pp., hbk.,  RRP $A25.99

9781760657352

I have a secret – we have a secret –
in this place where secrets are not allowed.

Imagine you’re a child with all the natural curiosity, imagination, energy and exuberance that goes with childhood.  But instead of being able to wander and explore the world around you, that world is bounded by high walls and barbed wire, patrolled and guarded by brutal soldiers who do not hesitate to impose their power – even on little children.  Such was the life of many children and their mothers who were long-time residents of Malaya and Singapore but who, with the fall of both countries to the Japanese in February 1942, were herded like animals into the notorious Changi Prison, and treated as such. Days were spent tending the gardens to grow food for their captors in the morning and then on rows of hard benches learning “numbers, words and formulas” and secret songs under the watchful eyes and ears of gun-carrying soldiers in the afternoons. Not until dusk fell was their time their own.

But in that time, the women tried to make life a little more normal for the children, and one in particular, Mrs Elizabeth Ennis, an army nursing sister, began a secret Girl Guides group and taught them how to take their minds, if not their bodies, far beyond the prison walls.  So as her birthday approaches, it is time to make a special present, and in this sensitive, softly illustrated story, Saxby and Masciullo not only divulge what that gift will be but expose the lives of those who made it and the risks they took to do so.

The horrors of Changi have been on my radar since my own childhood because even though my dad was a POW in Germany and eventually force-marched across Poland as part of the Germans’ human shield, even in those days long before television, let alone the internet, the atrocities and barbarities of Changi were known, and the brutality of the captors was being revealed by those like my future father-in-law who miraculously survived the men’s camp, as well as in stories like Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice, and movies like The Bridge on the River Kwai (where my f-i-l ended up).  Yet from the depths of the darkest despair, the human spirit soared and stories like the making of this precious gift have emerged.

As I read this book, including the author’s note that offers a short background history of the time, I wanted to know more and a simple search brought many links including stories of those who helped make it, a history of the quilt itself, including close-up photos of it in the Imperial War Museum, as well as information about the other quilts that were made, including the Australian quilt. 

 

girl guide quilt, Changi, Far East Civilian Internee

girl guide quilt, Changi, Far East Civilian Internee Image: © IWM (EPH 9206)

However, this is not primarily a book for an older, quilt-loving  adult like me but one for younger readers – those, who, had they lived in another time and place, might have been in it – and so, once again, using her gift to use words to put real life into the realm of young readers, Saxby has opened up a whole new world that exemplifies the courage, determination and kindness of humanity even when confronted with its worst aspects, and Masciullo’s illustrations whose tiny details like the child finding wonder in the garden regardless of the overbearing soldier who dominates the image depict resilience and hope and the eternal love of adults determined to protect their children.

Some might question whether this is a topic that its intended audience need know about or, if indeed, it is one they can cope with, but whoever wrote the teachers’ notes is to be congratulated on their thoughtful approach that explores both the story and the history in a way that builds and supports the child’s historical knowledge, social awareness and emotional intelligence, even encouraging the class to create its own quilt. Probing questions that encourage them to think more deeply, understand the lives of others (which some in the class may have experienced in a different context), and focus on those human traits of hope, kindness, courage and empathy underpin an outstanding investigation inspired by the book but which have the potential to be so much broader and longer-lasting.

Among all the books I have read and reviewed over time, this is a stand-out and a must-have in any collection of those who want to better understand how a “simple” story can reveal so much more than the words on the page. 

 

Bigfoot vs Yeti

May31
Bigfoot vs Yeti

Bigfoot vs Yeti

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bigfoot vs Yeti

James Foley

Fremantle Press, 2025

40pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760994983

The clans have been enemies for as long as anyone can remember.

The Bigfoots say it started when a Yeti threw a snowball across the rift. The Yetis say it started when a Bigfoot threw some fruit across the rift. Who could say for sure? But what was certain was that it seemed the rift was too wide to cross, too deep to fathom and it was seemingly endless.   There was always a Bigfoot and Yeti on guard on either side hurling snowballs, fruit and insults at each other. Until, one night, a young Bigfoot and a young Yeti decide to find the end of the rift so they can finish the feud – once and for all.

This is an intriguing book that has many layers, making it one of those that can be used from Kindergarten to Year 12.  For Kindy kids, it can be just a story about two clans or families that are arguing but who eventually find a resolution by helping each other and offering hope with a happy ending.  Slightly older children will begin to appreciate that it is possible for people to have different beliefs, even disagreements, and yet still remain on friendly terms if respectful communication continues. But for older students it can be an allegory to explain the wars and conflicts that are currently consuming the planet whether they be fuelled by racism, religion, ethnic or cultural differences, or just old-fashioned power and greed. 

Sadly, so many of our young students have already faced conflict in their lives, whether that has been at the family vs family or the country vs country level, and thus, are familiar with friction if not fear, so this is a simplified, child-lens view of how such disputes begin that teachers and parents can use to explain the circumstances that children might find themselves in, or to interpret increasing uncertainty in the world that makes so many anxious. And while President Trump’s infamous declaration in May 2023 that, ““They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours.” is coming back to bite him because rifts run deep and are not as simple as “doing a deal”, Foley has created an ending that could provoke older students into delving into why solutions are not as simple as they might seem and why age-old divisions endure through generations.  

While younger readers will understand that while the two clans are fighting, everything is depicted in black and white, right and wrong, and when the mist lifts, there is colour, older readers could explore how a creator’s use of colour in illustrations is a deliberate choice to depict mood, atmosphere, emotions and so forth and how such choices are integral to the story being told in the text. To help explore the story further, in a way that is appropriate to the reader’s age, maturity and understanding,  comprehensive teachers’ notes are available, and there is an interview with Foley here. 

Knowledge, understanding, tolerance and acceptance of differences begins at a very young age as our children play together in the playground with no language barriers, or racial, religious, cultural, social, economic or other prejudices. They just celebrate what each brings to the game – and, as in the story, that can be the way forward.  The work we do in teaching them how to resolve the inevitable arguments, how to negotiate, compromise and connect is not wasted and this story offers many riches in how to explain, explore and resolve conflict no matter the scale it is on. 

So this is a story for all ages  and all collections that can be used again and again as we strive for a better, brighter future.

On Gallant Wings

Apr25
On Gallant Wings

On Gallant Wings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Gallant Wings

Helen Edwards

Riveted Press, 2025

288pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9781763526051

Darwin, December 1941.  Even though her dad is a navigator for the RAAF and is stationed somewhere overseas, for 12-year-old Ava the war is a distant thing and she goes about her daily life with her mum and older brother Fred, playing with her best friend Kazuo, whose dad was born in Japan, and raising her pet pigeons. She lives by her own self-imposed rules and rituals and her greatest delight is watching the progress of her new chick Essie, her favourite pigeon, who is already showing signs of leadership, ready for her first flight early. while dodging Billy the Bully is her greatest fear.  Life is okay, under the circumstances – until it isn’t.

Fred lies about his age so he can join up and “do his bit” and is to be sent to training camp shortly; Pearl Harbour is bombed by the Japanese and Kazuo and his family are sent to an internment camp, even though both Kazuo and his mother were born in Australia; and then Darwin, itself, is bombed and Ava and her mum barely escape with their lives.  Forced to evacuate, Ava and her mum join the other families in making the long and arduous trip south to stay with Grandma Dot and Grandpa RaRi in Lake Boga near Swan Hill, Victoria, a town as different from Darwin as it could be. And such a change means a new set of rules -including the one about making no new friends because everyone leaves anyway. Yet despite the difference in location, the war follows Ava, both in reality as a secret Catalina flying-boat maintenance base is built on the lake and her mother joins the WAAAF and works at the base,  and in her head as the sights and sounds of the bombing continue to haunt her.  Infrequent letters, heavily censored, keep her in touch with her dad and Fred who is now with the Signals Directorate working with Essie and the other pigeons in preparation for deployment to New Guinea and despite her rule not to make friends because friends leave and heartache follows, she teams up with Pete, Jenny and Stevo and with school and swimming in the lake, watching the Catalinas and the pelicans, there is a semblance of normality again. That is, until her life is turned upside down when Kazuo appears in the dead of night having escaped from the family internment camp, terrified of being send to the single men’s camp where Japanese prisoners of war will see him as a traitor to their nation. Ava is torn between helping him and living by her rules of telling no lies to her grandparents… Can she find a way through her ethical dilemma so she doesn’t break her grandparents’ trust, can keep Kazuo safe and yet remain true to her self?

Written by Ava, and interspersed with those precious letters, this is an intriguing and engaging story for independent readers about a little-known period of Australian history.  While even our youngest have a sketchy knowledge of why we commemorate ANZAC Day, the wars and the conflict and upheaval they caused, are fading into the memories of even their great-grandparents now and the stories of the children’s lives of the time are disappearing. Life before the internet is tricky to remember, let alone life before television, and so a war fought in a time when soldiers had to roll cable out through the jungle and rely on carrier pigeons for communication is almost unimaginable and so this is an important story for giving today’s readers a glimpse into a life that was very real for their great-grandparents, and ultimately influenced who they, themselves, are. (My own grandchildren proudly volunteer as flag bearers each ANZAC Day at the Australian War Memorial, commemorating the service of their great-grandfathers, grandfathers and other family members, continuing that contribution to community through their Scouting activities.)   Meticulously researched, it also fills in gaps for those of us who are older but whose parents chose not to talk about their wartime experiences – too raw, too scary and too incomprehensible if you weren’t there and didn’t live through it.  It may even spark an interest in investigating personal family histories, or perhaps the story of someone whose name is etched on the town’s war memorial. 

As well as Ava’s own experiences, there are also broader issues that can be discussed and explored such as the automatic internment of those Australians deemed to be enemies because of their heritage; the secrecy surrounding the devastation of Darwin;  even the impact of PTSD on children and how seemingly unrelated events can cause triggers.  More general teaching notes following these themes and others, including the uncensored letters, are available here.

Through Essie, Tommy and the other pigeons, we also learn about the role they and other animals have played in wars -so many  more than Simpson’s donkey – and those with an interest can not only read about the Dickin Medal which was awarded to Essie, but can also read more in Pidge’s Poppies and Wear a Purple Poppy. 

Given the unpredictability of today’s world, the 24/7 news cycle and television and the internet bringing the world’s conflict into our students’ lounge rooms, many are feeling great anxiety about their future so want to escape into fantasy adventure where they have the power to control events, but with carefully selected historical fiction such as this, we can show them that previous generations have faced just as dire circumstances and come through – challenged and changed, but resourceful and resilient – and that there is hope for them too.  Humanity will prevail.

From pigeons and Morse code to satellites and cyberspace: 100 years of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals

"Rat on wings": the little pigeon that won a gallantry medal

“Rat on wings”: the little pigeon that won a gallantry medal

Dreaming Soldiers

Apr8
Dreaming Soldiers

Dreaming Soldiers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dreaming Soldiers

Catherine Bauer

Shane McGrath

Big Sky, 2025

36pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781923300255

Jimmy Watson and Johnno Hogan were the best of friends – swimming-in-waterholes, camping-under-the-stars, sharing-water-bottles kind of friends. Throughout their lives they did everything together and even when their paths diverged because there were different rules and expectations for “white” and indigenous children then, they still came back together as close as they had ever been.  And then one day they went into town for supplies, heeded the call for men to fight in a war far away and enlisted…

This could be the story of any number of friendships of the early 20th century when ‘white’ and indigenous kids on farms formed friendships that were blind to colour, cultural differences or any other racial prejudices and its strong focus on that friendship is its positive. While the treatment of indigenous soldiers during the conflicts that Australia has been involved in since the Boer War in 1899 could have been its focus, its power lies in that spotlight on the friendship, the shared adventures and stories, the fears and hopes that are common regardless of skin colour. 

This is a new release of this book, and is particularly timely.  While the Trump regime tries to reshape US military history including removing thousands of records of Black, Hispanic and female war veterans from official websites, including that of the Arlington National Cemetery (where those of the ilk of John. F. Kennedy are buried),  this book is one of not many that acknowledge First Nation Service Men and Women. 

Within the Australian Curriculum, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority is designed for all students to engage in reconciliation, respect and recognition of the world’s oldest continuous living cultures, and so this book offers the opportunity to help our younger students understand that despite rules against their enrolment (those not of “substantially European origin” were excluded from enlisting by the Defence Act 1903) and not being recognised as citizens until 1967, their neglect and exclusion on their return, indigenous people have fought for Australia in many overseas conflicts and their contribution has been vital.  Now, each year following the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, there is a special ceremony acknowledging their service. 

This edition includes some pertinent questions to pose to encourage students to reflect and remember,  teachers’ notes extend the experience and the learning. and further information, including some of the stories of the estimated 1000 who managed to enlist can be found on the Australian War Memorial site while an internet search will provide links to further valuable resources.

Click poster to download

Click poster to download

Our Indigenous Heroes – They Also Served 

Why are there wars?

Jan14
Why are there wars?

Why are there wars?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why are there wars?

Katie Daynes & Mairi Mackinnon

Oksana  Drachkovska

Usborne, 2024

12pp., board books, RRP $A19.99

9781805312710

Sadly, in a time when in most countries, it has recently been a time of “peace and goodwill to all”, our news bulletins have remained peppered with stories about conflicts around the world, and these events have huge impacts that spread like pebbles in a pond well beyond the ideologies and  beliefs of those who begin them.

There would be few schools in Australia where there are not families who have been impacted by war in some way, either by current events or those stretching back into history when previous generations were forced to flee and begin a new life here.  And so, no doubt, they have been confronted by the question, “Why are there wars?” from little ones. Created with expert advice from a number of experts and in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum, London this is designed to help parents and teachers address the hard questions so that little ones understand such a big-feeling concept at their own level, and unlike previous generations like mine, know that war is not necessarily an inevitable part of their future. 

As sensitive as the topic may be, Usborne have addressed it in this lift-the-flap book that explains why there are wars, the fact that wars have occurred for centuries,  that there are many who work hard to keep people safe, that wars do end and they can be prevented if we work towards a more peaceful world.  With carefully chosen words and examples, readers can engage with the answers by lifting the flaps to get a better understanding and these are, in turn, supported by internet links which help parents talk to their children about war as well as ways children can get involved in various projects that can help them be kinder, more understanding, tolerant and accepting of differences.

This is one best read with an adult so there can be deeper conversations and explanations, but nevertheless, it has a place in the collection of any school whose students have been touched by such an event in some way. 

Walls

Aug14
Walls

Walls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walls

Tania Ingram

Ruth-Mary Smith

Wombat Books, 2024

32pp., hbk, RRP $A26.99

9781761111518

Knight and Viking live on opposite sides of the book, and each believes his side is superior to the other.  Their arguments escalate to the point that each feels threatened by the other, and so, as has so often happened in history (and modern times), each decides to build a wall to keep the other out.  

Meanwhile, their children continue to play happily with each other ignoring the posturing and blustering of their parents until the wall separates them.  But even then they find a way to connect, although their parents are still so busy squabbling and indulging in one-upmanship, that they don’t notice.  

And then the wall crumbles…

This is a most intriguing picture book that has so many layers and levels,  It is told entirely in speech bubbles (the dialogue could hardly be called “conversation”) between Knight and Viking while their children say nothing at all – their entire connection is made through the powerful, expressive illustrations, and as their parents’ belligerence increases, so does their ingenuity so that they, at least, stay connected. 

Sadly, so many of our young students have already faced conflict in their lives, whether that has been at the family vs family or the country vs country level, and thus, are familiar with friction if not fear, so this is a simplified, child-lens view of how such disputes begin that teachers and parents can use to explain the circumstances that children might find themselves in, or to interpret increasing uncertainty in the world that makes so many anxious,

However, they can also use it to demonstrate hope. While the adults continue to indulge in their battle for power, driven by ego and emotion, oblivious to the destruction of the lives and environment around them, it is the children who have the solution.  As our children play together in the playground with no language barriers, or racial, religious, cultural, social, economic or other prejudices,  they are learning tolerance and acceptance of differences, celebrating what each brings to the game – and, as in the story, that can be the way forward.  The work we do in teaching them how to resolve the inevitable arguments, how to negotiate, compromise and connect is not wasted and this story offers many riches in how to explain, explore and resolve conflict no matter the scale it is on.  

Unique and a must-have in any collection.

Questions and Answers About Refugees

Feb13
Questions and Answers About Refugees

Questions and Answers About Refugees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions and Answers About Refugees

Katie Daynes

Ashe De Sousa

Oksana Dkachkovska

Usborne, 2023

14pp., board book., RRP $A19.99

9781803709987

Who are refugees?

Why do people become refugees?

Can anyone become a refugee?

What do ‘asylum seeker’, ‘migrant’ and ‘internally displaced person’ mean?

These are some of the questions asked and answered in this new release Q&A from Usborne, the masters of making the complex simple. With its lift-the-flap format, all the big questions like “Why do wars start?” are explained in short, easy-to-understand paragraphs so that students can have a basic understanding of what some of their classmates may have faced in a previous life and time.  And with current and potential conflicts creating an even greater problem than previously, there are many who will be seeking answers.

 Written with advice from the Refugee Council and drawing on conversations with refugees and aid workers from around the world, the questions cover all stages of a refugee’s journey, from fleeing danger and embarking on hazardous journeys, to seeking asylum and struggling to find a new place to call home. The language and scenes have been carefully considered to be appropriate for younger children, providing an extremely useful educational tool for families and schools. And for those wanting to know more, there are the usual Quicklinks to carefully selected and vetted online resources.

Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War

Feb1
Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War

Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War

Fiona White

Kathleen O’Hagan

Lothian, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780734421630 

It begins…

For the horses and the mules, for the donkeys and the camels,

We wear a purple poppy for you.

To the dogs and the pigeons, to the elephants and cats,

We wear a purple poppy for you…

And it continues by taking each part of the poem and explaining the role that animals have played in conflict for Australia over the decades “from Beersheba to Afghanistan, Kokoda to Posières” in tribute to these brave creatures that now “lie in distant fields far from home”. 

In 2019, the Australian Parliament declared 24 February each year as the National Day for War Animals, also known as Purple Poppy Day. It’s a day to pause, wear a purple poppy, and pay tribute to the many animals who served alongside soldiers and this is a poignant and stunningly illustrated tribute to all those creatures, often symbolised by Simpson’s donkey but which involved so many other species doing so many other things in so many fields. So important have they been that there is now an international war memorial for animals at Posières in France and those who have provided outstanding service or displayed incredible courage and loyalty can be awarded the Dickin Medal or the Blue Cross Medal.

Released in time for this year’s commemoration, this is an enlightening tribute that is supported by comprehensive teachers’ notes which cover significant strands of the curriculum and include a long list of picture books, novels and other resources which will encourage students to read and investigate more widely. As well, the Australian War Memorial has compiled a number of resources that will further students’ understanding including a digitised version of their popular A is for Animals exhibition and its accompanying publication M is for Mates which may be in your collection already because it was distributed to all schools in 2010. There is also an education kit available.

For any school that has the commemoration of our military history in its curriculum, this is a must-have in the library’s collection.