Heroes Incredible true stories of courageous animals

Review by Booklist Review

The creators of the well-received Survivors (2017) return with an encore celebration of 33 animals who demonstrated heroism during wartime. Not surprisingly, the lion's share 21 are dogs. The next most populous, with seven, are birds; then there are two horses, one cat, one donkey, and, improbably, one bear. Named Voytek, the bear was the mascot for a group of Polish soldiers; Voytek who had a penchant for drinking beer and smoking cigarettes distinguished himself at the WWII battle of Monte Cassino by carrying giant shells from the Polish supply depot to the Allies' guns. The donkey, named Murphy, demonstrated heroism under heavy fire at the WWI battle of Gallipoli by carrying wounded soldiers from the front lines to safety. He gained such celebrity that after the war he appeared on Australian postage stamps. Each of the stories is well told in accessible prose that captures, anecdotally, the spirit of the animal. The large-format book is nicely illustrated with medallion portraits of the creatures and double-page-spread depictions of the action.--Michael Cart Copyright 2019 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

This companion to Survivors tells the stories of 33 animals who served alongside humans in wartime. Long introduces dogs such as Tipperary Beauty, a terrier who rescued pets during the London Blitz, and Ricky, a Welsh collie sheepdog who cleared minefields. Noncanine subjects include Sergeant Reckless, a Mongolian racehorse who helped U.S. Marines during the Korean War; Simon, a ship cat who prevented rats from eating sailors' food during the Chinese Civil War; and Voytek, a bear taken in by the Polish Army corps who transported artillery shells and became fond of beer and cigarettes. Hyndman's matte, earth-toned illustrations imagine the animals leaping across smoky battlefields, navigating cities of rubble, and, in the case of carrier pigeons, careening across the sky with lifesaving messages. Readers will be heartened to learn of the accolades many of the animals received following their service, and that several enjoyed retirements as pets. Ages 9-11. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Thirty-three tributes to heroic working animals and doughty mascots, mostly in wartime.Though the most colorful yarn here stars Voytek, a bear cub adopted by a brigade of expat Polish soldiers who taught him to smoke, drink, and even carry artillery shells, there's a distinctly British (and doggy) slant to this large-format companion to the human-centered Survivors (2017). Long sticks mostly to the two world wars, with occasional excursions to ground zero on and after 9/11, the (latest) war in Afghanistan, and a few other bidders. He relates, in no obvious order, exploits of Murphy the donkey, the "four-legged ambulance" of Gallipoli; "Sgt." Reckless, a packhorse awarded two Purple Hearts in Korea; several rescue dogs in the trenches and the Blitz; homing pigeons who carried timely or lifesaving messages for incredible distances; even a cat who helped the crew of a damaged ship survive a monthslong siege. The author goes for sentiment over gritty detail (Blitz rescue dog Rip's "little heart eventually gave up"), and if not all of the animals survived their heroics, the narratives at least end on upbeat notes. Hyndman adds painted portraits at the chapter heads and occasional double-page scenes of climactic moments; human figures likely default to white, though they are uncommon and their faces are turned away or left in shadow. There is a table of contents but no index or source list.Repetitive in bulk, but in digestible doses, rewarding fare for younger browsers. (Nonfiction. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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