Scan barcode
molly_dettmann's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
SERGEANT BILLY 4EVER
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'Sergeant Billy: The True Story of the Goat Who Went to War' by Mireille Messier with illustrations by Kass Reich is a picture book that shows how often truth is stranger than fiction.
A group of Canadian soldiers on their way to World War I, made a stop in a prairie town. They find a young girl named Daisy with a goat, and they ask if they can take the goat with them. She makes them promise to bring the goat back unharmed.
The goat becomes a kind of mascot and good luck charm. At one point the soldiers head to the front, but the goat isn't supposed to go, so the soldiers think of a clever way to smuggle a goat into the dangerous trenches at the front.
I loved this true story of a goat who helped morale. The book ends with some real pictures and talks about where in Saskatchewan you can find out more. The illustrations are also fun with rounded looking characters and a goat with quite the personality.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
A group of Canadian soldiers on their way to World War I, made a stop in a prairie town. They find a young girl named Daisy with a goat, and they ask if they can take the goat with them. She makes them promise to bring the goat back unharmed.
The goat becomes a kind of mascot and good luck charm. At one point the soldiers head to the front, but the goat isn't supposed to go, so the soldiers think of a clever way to smuggle a goat into the dangerous trenches at the front.
I loved this true story of a goat who helped morale. The book ends with some real pictures and talks about where in Saskatchewan you can find out more. The illustrations are also fun with rounded looking characters and a goat with quite the personality.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
lauriehnatiuk's review against another edition
5.0
Here is your must have book for Remembrance Day for primary teachers, especially those of us in Saskatchewan.
Based on a true story, this is the tale of how a goat from Broadview Saskatchewan, becomes part of the Fifth Canadian Battalion platoon during World War I. A goat is befriended and borrowed from a small girl on a farm as a group of men go off to train to become soldiers. As the men train, the bond between the goat who is now known as Private Billy grows and the platoon decides that Billy is now a valuable member of the platoon and sneak Billy onto the boat to travel across the ocean. As the story unfolds we learn of all the remarkable things that Billy experienced from training camp, to being in the trenches, to encouraging the men, to actually saving some of his friends by head-butting them into safety as a shell explodes and finally to his return as a decorated war hero back into the hands of the small girl on the farm. Kass Reich's illustrations are well balanced shifting back and forth between moods of humour and somber using olive army greens and browns that depict this era of time. Included are photographs of Billy and more information about this piece of lesser known Saskatchewan history. This book will allow primary students an appropriate introduction to WWI in an engaging format that will provide knowledge without the horrible details.
With few books that can be shared for our younger readers and students this is an invaluable addition to libraries and classrooms.
Based on a true story, this is the tale of how a goat from Broadview Saskatchewan, becomes part of the Fifth Canadian Battalion platoon during World War I. A goat is befriended and borrowed from a small girl on a farm as a group of men go off to train to become soldiers. As the men train, the bond between the goat who is now known as Private Billy grows and the platoon decides that Billy is now a valuable member of the platoon and sneak Billy onto the boat to travel across the ocean. As the story unfolds we learn of all the remarkable things that Billy experienced from training camp, to being in the trenches, to encouraging the men, to actually saving some of his friends by head-butting them into safety as a shell explodes and finally to his return as a decorated war hero back into the hands of the small girl on the farm. Kass Reich's illustrations are well balanced shifting back and forth between moods of humour and somber using olive army greens and browns that depict this era of time. Included are photographs of Billy and more information about this piece of lesser known Saskatchewan history. This book will allow primary students an appropriate introduction to WWI in an engaging format that will provide knowledge without the horrible details.
With few books that can be shared for our younger readers and students this is an invaluable addition to libraries and classrooms.
michelle_neuwirth_gray9311's review against another edition
5.0
This was just fun to read and I really enjoyed the illustrations! Would definitely be fun in an elementary school history class.
katieckb's review against another edition
4.0
This is a children’s picture book based on the true story of Billy, a goat, who accompanies a group of soldiers during their missions on the war and acts as a mascot and a source of comfort.
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
We are pretty familiar with the story about the bear cub named Winnie who was adopted by a lieutenant in WWI and whose story became Winnie-the-Pooh. And then there's Stubby, a stray dog who became the mascot of the 26th Infantry Division, went to war and became a decorated hero, as did Rags, a Parisian mongrel adopted by radio operator James Donovan. But did you know there was also a goat who was borrowed by some Canadian soldiers from a little girl named Daisy in Saskatchewan when their train made a stop there.
Daisy wasn't really happy to lend her goat to the soldiers of the Fifth Battalion who were going off to war, but they promised to bring him back, and so she agreed, and "that's how Billy's extraordinary story began."
And what a story it is. Private Billy proved to be an able soldier, training, marching, crawling and running like any other soldier, and even getting laggers back on track, not to mention being a great comfort and morale booster. But when it came time to ship out, the colonel said it was a no go for Private Billy. His fellow soldiers had other plans, though, buying an crate of oranges (which they quickly ate) and packing Private Billy into the empty crate to sneak him on to their ship. The plan worked and luckily, Private Billy was a good sailor.
Once at the front lines, Billy also adjusted well to trench life. Nothing bothered him - not the cold, not the mud, not the noise, not the bad food, not even the rats. He continued to be a great comfort and morale booster, especially to nervous new recruits and to homesick soldiers. Of course, Billy was a goat, after all, and he was known to occasionally chow down on some important secret documents, and sentenced to jail for spying. But when morale fell, he was quickly released. Billy also saved lives on the battlefield, butting soldiers back into the trench to avoid an exploding shell.
By the end of the war, Private Billy was promoted to Sergeant Billy, and awarded the Mons Star for bravery in the face of danger. And "that's how Sergeant Billy became a decorated war hero." Happily, Billy survived the war and was returned to a somewhat older Daisy in Saskatchewan.
War is an ugly business and it's a difficult topic to introduce kids to. Luckily, there are some excellent books that can help parents and teachers broach this subject with young readers. And Sergeant Billy would be a great choice with which to do that. I say this because the first thing that struck me about Sergeant Billy is how focused it is on the goat and not on the soldiers or some of the real horrors of war. In this way, the story offers a gentle introduction to war while at the same time it makes it very clear that war is not fun despite having a goat mascot.
Messier's writing is simple, direct, and age appropriate, though none of the technical terms are explained (for example, Billy got trench foot, but what is that? my young readers asked). And Reich's uncomplicated gouache illustrations in a palette of army browns and greens work in absolute harmony with the text.
Sergeant Billy and his life on the front lines while in the Canadian army is based on a true story, and readers will find plenty of informative back matter that includes photographs of the real Billy and information about animals in war.
And for kids who really like heroic animal stories, pair Sergeant Billy with these other true stories from WWI: Fly, Cher Ami, Fly! The Pigeon Who Save the Lost Battalion by Robert Burleigh, Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick, Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh by Sally M. Walker, Stubby the Dog Soldier, World War I Hero by Blake Hoena, Rags: Hero Dog of WWI, a true story by Margot Theis Raven, and Stubby: A True Story of Friendship by Michael Foreman
This book is recommended for readers age 5+
This book is an EARC received from NetGalley
Daisy wasn't really happy to lend her goat to the soldiers of the Fifth Battalion who were going off to war, but they promised to bring him back, and so she agreed, and "that's how Billy's extraordinary story began."
And what a story it is. Private Billy proved to be an able soldier, training, marching, crawling and running like any other soldier, and even getting laggers back on track, not to mention being a great comfort and morale booster. But when it came time to ship out, the colonel said it was a no go for Private Billy. His fellow soldiers had other plans, though, buying an crate of oranges (which they quickly ate) and packing Private Billy into the empty crate to sneak him on to their ship. The plan worked and luckily, Private Billy was a good sailor.
Once at the front lines, Billy also adjusted well to trench life. Nothing bothered him - not the cold, not the mud, not the noise, not the bad food, not even the rats. He continued to be a great comfort and morale booster, especially to nervous new recruits and to homesick soldiers. Of course, Billy was a goat, after all, and he was known to occasionally chow down on some important secret documents, and sentenced to jail for spying. But when morale fell, he was quickly released. Billy also saved lives on the battlefield, butting soldiers back into the trench to avoid an exploding shell.
By the end of the war, Private Billy was promoted to Sergeant Billy, and awarded the Mons Star for bravery in the face of danger. And "that's how Sergeant Billy became a decorated war hero." Happily, Billy survived the war and was returned to a somewhat older Daisy in Saskatchewan.
War is an ugly business and it's a difficult topic to introduce kids to. Luckily, there are some excellent books that can help parents and teachers broach this subject with young readers. And Sergeant Billy would be a great choice with which to do that. I say this because the first thing that struck me about Sergeant Billy is how focused it is on the goat and not on the soldiers or some of the real horrors of war. In this way, the story offers a gentle introduction to war while at the same time it makes it very clear that war is not fun despite having a goat mascot.
Messier's writing is simple, direct, and age appropriate, though none of the technical terms are explained (for example, Billy got trench foot, but what is that? my young readers asked). And Reich's uncomplicated gouache illustrations in a palette of army browns and greens work in absolute harmony with the text.
Sergeant Billy and his life on the front lines while in the Canadian army is based on a true story, and readers will find plenty of informative back matter that includes photographs of the real Billy and information about animals in war.
And for kids who really like heroic animal stories, pair Sergeant Billy with these other true stories from WWI: Fly, Cher Ami, Fly! The Pigeon Who Save the Lost Battalion by Robert Burleigh, Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick, Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh by Sally M. Walker, Stubby the Dog Soldier, World War I Hero by Blake Hoena, Rags: Hero Dog of WWI, a true story by Margot Theis Raven, and Stubby: A True Story of Friendship by Michael Foreman
This book is recommended for readers age 5+
This book is an EARC received from NetGalley
skundrik87's review against another edition
4.0
Look at his little hooves! War books should not be this cute.
bargainandbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fascinating story. Leave it up to Canadians to adopt a pet goat for the war. (I mean this as an absolutely loving compliment) the fact that the soldiers took Sergeant Billy from a farm in Saskatchewan to the front lines of WWI is very interesting.
It was really great how we got to learn a bit about the war in a kid friendly sort of way. Travelling from Canada, to the front lines and back again.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who’s child is interested in history, or to introduce them to history.
It was really great how we got to learn a bit about the war in a kid friendly sort of way. Travelling from Canada, to the front lines and back again.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who’s child is interested in history, or to introduce them to history.
peyton_'s review against another edition
4.0
This is a good book and a great way to teach children about animals in war. Cute and has a lot of interesting facts.
em_and_em's review against another edition
4.0
I received an arc of this book from netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
I really really liked this one! It was engaging, and I wanted to read it all over again. The illustrations are charming and it was just a really cool story. Well worth reading!
I really really liked this one! It was engaging, and I wanted to read it all over again. The illustrations are charming and it was just a really cool story. Well worth reading!