Jimmy Watson and Johnno Hogan were
country boys and the best of friends.
They loved life and enjoyed every
mischievous minute of it. Don’t you two
get into trouble was Mrs Hogan’s catchphrase whenever they left the house
together.
The waterhole was their favourite place.
The townspeople didn’t like the idea that the
Hogans were friends with the Indigenous Jimmy. Mr Hogan was smarter than that.
When time passed, and WW1 broke out, the two friends enlisted together.
The two mothers cried together. Mrs Hogan’s words
rang in their ears as they sailed off to the unknown. Over oceans and deserts,
through trenches and bombing, the mates watched out for each other. And for the
first time, Jimmy was just one of the boys.
With impressive well-chosen prose that references
the Indigenous theme, Catherine Bauer brings into focus the Indigenous soldiers
that served in the Wars. Very few books - especially those for children - touch
on this significant subject that is too often ignored. The book speaks to our
social conscience. It reminds readers and teaches children, that difference is all
in the mind; that what is beneath the skin is how a person should be measured.
I loved everything about this book, beginning with
the fabulous covers and outstanding end pages full of old pennies. The full
page illustrations bring us closer to the characters and the happenings. The
images are realistic; sharp and alive on the page – especially the war images.
Shane McGrath has done a magnificent job translating the text and giving it
another dimension by magnifying the most important scenes. The use of khaki
throughout the book was a brilliant choice. This is one not to be missed!
Title:
Dreaming Soldiers
Author:
Catherine Bauer
Illustrator:
Shane McGrath
Publisher:
Big Sky Publishing, $24.99
Publication
Date: September 2018
Format:
Hardcover
ISBN:
9781925675535
For
ages: 5+
Type:
Picture Book
