Fiona White (text) and Kathleen O’Hagan (illustrator), Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War, Hachette, January 2024, 24 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780734421630
Wear a Purple Poppy commemorates the support role of animals in Australian war campaigns. Succinctly and clearly written recounts, by author Fiona White, describe how donkeys and mules carried heavy loads; dogs were companions or trackers; pigeons carried messages; and more. The animals’ courage, determination and loyalty is remembered by wearing purple poppies on the National Day for War Animals (24 February).
Whilst the stories are interesting – such as the one about elephants who helped build bridges in the forests of Burma – it is O’Hagan’s illustrations that make this book energetic and lively. Her expansive, detailed coloured illustrations add meaning to the text by depicting animals and soldiers in action, against a landscape relevant to place. I was impressed that the colours of the pencil drawings are vibrant but remain authentic to a military context. The eye-catching endpapers filled with purple poppies and green stems deserve a special mention too.
Wear a purple poppy is yet another beautifully illustrated, appealing non-fiction text to enjoy just for the pleasure of its lovely presentation and interesting content. The text is short and accessible for recently independent readers (about 7-9 years old) but relevant for a wide age range in the primary years.
This book also presents a new and heartening approach to teaching about Australia’s military history. The publisher has provided teacher resources for this purpose.
Reviewed by Barbara Swartz
