Gallipoli by Kerry Greenwood and Annie White
Gallipoli by Kerry Greenwood and Annie White
Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781743621295.
(Age 5+) Highly recommended. Gallipoli. World War 1. Bravery.
Friendship. Dusty and Bluey were mates, off to the Great War as part
of the Australian Light Horse. They were sent to Egypt to train as
soldiers and then deployed to Gallipoli, where they met Simpson and
his donkey Duffy, sustained injuries and attempted to be resilient
and positive under awful conditions.
Greenwood's prose brings this story alive, letting the reader learn
about Dusty and Bluey's feelings of excitement as they left for an
unknown war and gradually their fears about the horrors of war, each
promising to watch each other's back. She is able to bring in the
heroism of Simpson and his donkey and the awful times when the
soldiers are injured, the nurses who looked after them on the island
of Lemnos and the unexpected bond between the Turkish soldiers and
the Australians as they buried their dead and exchanged gifts. The
reality of war is not glossed over: the fact that soldiers are
killed, the trenches are muddy and freezing and the food inadequate
are all made clear. However it is the caring friendship between the
two men that shines out as they bravely do their duty as soldiers,
and after the war Bluey is shown managing a normal life after losing
his leg.
Illustrator Annie White's pictures are coloured in soft pastels and
really add a deeper understanding to the text, but which are not too
overwhelming for young readers to look at. The emotions on the faces
of the soldiers are wonderful, and the interspersing of drawings
within a photo frame add detail to the whole.
This is a book that will greatly aid children in understanding the
nature of war and the bravery of the young men who were sent to
Gallipoli.
Pat Pledger