Who doesn’t love a great story about a real kiwi hero? Such is the story told in Roly the Anzac Donkey, which retells the events experienced by Richard Henderson, who was a school teacher from Grey Lynn and also a medic during the Gallipoli landings alongside his faithful donkey, Roly.
I’m liking
The story is told from the perspective of beautiful doe-eyed Roly. Images of him will melt your heart – the book is beautifully illustrated by Jenny Cooper. The way the story is conveyed is especially easy for the young reader (5-9 bracket) to relate to.
There is a nice level of detail to the story – like the way in which Richard cared for injured soldiers with specifics like iodine. This would make the story a bit wordy for young kids but is really nice for the target audience.
Complete with maps, a biography of Richard Henderson and details of the Gallipoli Campaign, this is a really important work and should be read by school children everywhere. It’s a truly beautiful, heartwarming story that does not shy away from a few of war’s harsher realities.
Things that made me go hmmmm
The reality is, life for wartime donkeys (and soldiers/medics!) wasn’t easy. Roly experiences some unpleasant situations, but together with Richard he becomes a hero in the end. The images contain explosions, blood and injured soldiers, grave sites and big, sad eyes. Some sensitive children may have a tear in their eye at times while reading this, which will probably lead to some important discussions – a good thing, really, but you might need to pick when your child is ready for this kind of story.
The conclusion
Our tamariki will benefit from knowing the heroic stories of our wartime soldiers and the important people who helped them. This is a must-read in the lead up to Anzac Day.
Roly the Anzac Donkey by Glyn Harper is published by Penguin NZ, RRP $19.99
