Dogs of War

Gr 5 Up--Keenan has created an exhilarating and suspenseful set of stories about three soldiers and their dogs while also giving a general overview of different wars and touching on some period political and cultural events. Donnie and his dog, Boots, are medics lost deep in the trenches of World War I, trying to find their platoon. Rescuers stationed in Greenland, Cooper and his dog, Loki, are sent to save a downed World War II pilot. The book ends with the compelling story of Lanford, a vet back from Vietnam suffering from flashbacks of his scout dog, Sheba. These relationships feel genuine and are well developed, showing the training process and the reliance each one had with the other in order to stay alive. By the end, readers will feel that these dogs were not just helpers, but true soldiers worthy of honor. Fox's illustrations do a wonderful job of showing the devastating nature of these conflicts without sensationalized violence. The backgrounds are exceptional, showing the extremes of each story's harsh and dangerous environment. A prologue gives more information about each war and a history of solider dogs up to present day. This stunning graphic novel will be a hit with reluctant readers and history lovers.--Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books" Starred Review
The title may prioritize dogs, but these three historical fiction stories in this graphic novel actually focus more strongly on the men who served with those dogs in three different wars. In "Boots," sixteen-year-old Marcellinus McDonald is a doctor's assistant on the Western Front in 1914, and Boots is his beloved "mercy dog," who finds the wounded in No Man's Land. "Loki" is a sled dog in a rescue unit stationed in 1942 Greenland, where his master relies on him in a solo encounter with some reconnoitering Nazis. The final story, "Sheba," follows young Henry in 1968 North Carolina as his struggles with his obstreperous beagle pup bring him friendship with a recently returned Vietnam vet haunted by his experience on patrol with his German shepherd, Sheba. Keenan creates vivid voices for her characters, effectively tucking in exposition to convey information about everything from military objectives to daily life details in three very different situations. There's action aplenty, but the rhythms and trajectories vary effectively: "Boots" is a classic story of the Christmas Truce; "Loki" is an adventure tale of intelligence and hand-to-hand combat; "Sheba," which could stand alone as a book in its own right, is a poignant tale of male bonding between a young fatherless African-American boy and a black soldier overwhelmed by his experiences. Though the chaos of the action scenes can make them difficult to read, the art is atmospheric and effective, blending cinematic heroism, especially in the portraits of the dogs, with often daunting realism. Diehard warmongers, dog fans, and graphic-novel readers will all find something new here, and this will be an easy booktalk to readers reluctant and otherwise.