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A review by lauriehnatiuk
Sergeant Billy: The True Story of the Goat Who Went to War by Mireille Messier
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.