War Dogs: Churchill & Rufus

Gr 1–4—One thing that may have helped Churchill through the difficult World War II years was the company of his miniature poodle, Rufus. Taking a child's (or dog's) eye view, the book focuses on the prime minister's days as he worked in a reinforced underground bunker for safety during the Blitz. When he went on walks to assess the damage, the illustrations show destroyed buildings but not injured people or bodies. When he left to plan D-Day with Roosevelt and Stalin, Rufus guarded the bunker and awaited his return. World War II is covered in a compressed manner. Major points are mentioned but not in detail. Quotations from Churchill appear as small notes "thumbtacked" to the larger spreads. The author includes detailed notes about Churchill's life in general and his poodles in particular. A time line of World War II events provides historical context to the story. The acrylic and collage illustrations are primarily rendered in gentle earth tones. The resulting book is historically accurate, interesting, and appropriate for young children.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA