With Courage And Music

A common cause unites people with differences. It might be a wrong most people feel needs to be made right.  It's a time when barriers fall or are broken.

As a participant in the 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted by Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy, I have been reading more than I normally would about World War I.  I reviewed Stubby The War Dog:  The True Story of World War I's Bravest Dog (National Geographic, May 2014) and more recently the beautifully rendered Shooting at the Stars: The Christmas Truce of 1914 (Abrams Books for Young Readers, October 7, 2014) by John Hendrix, a fictionalized account of true events.  When I read Harlem Hellfighters (Creative Editions, an imprint of The Creative Company, August 19, 2014) by J. Patrick Lewis with illustrations by Gary Kelley, I knew another significant piece for my picture of this world event was firmly and memorably put in place.

RECRUITED IN SONG
April 1916
America's late declaration of war against the Germans filled enlistment offices everywhere.  In New York state, politicians enlisted magnetic bandleader James Europe to help assemble a new black regiment in Harlem. ...

This portion of the first passage follows an introductory page describing the length of the war, the number of casualties, the date when the United States entered this conflict, the number of African American soldiers and their role, the importance of the 369th Infantry Regiment named the Harlem Hellfighters by the Germans, and the leadership of James "Big Jim" Reese Europe and his band (music and soldiers).  On pages eight through thirty-one a portion is dedicated to poetic presentations of facts with supporting illustrations surrounding each of them.  It is a journey back in time, a journey highlighting men of distinction.

Two thousand strong, the 369th Infantry Regiment were recruited in 1916 and trained in South Carolina in the summer of 1917.  By December of this same year they left on a ship named the Pocahontas to make the three week journey to Europe.  Upon their arrival in France, they actually entertained people around the harbor with their own special brand of jazz.

Initially, their service was relegated to

They picked and shoveled dams, built hospitals in mud, laid rail lines spiked in blood, and dredged the port of Saint-Nazaire. 

The year was 1918.  Least you think that was their only purpose, in February they lightened the hearts of troops and boosted morale with their music in the Village of the Baths in the French Alps. Within a month the regiment was moved to the front lines.

In May 1918 Henry Johnson, a member of the Harlem Hellfighters, distinguished himself with bravery on the battlefield with a story documented in history by the honors bestowed upon him.  Their leader, James Europe, wrote some of his most well-known songs when the group found themselves moved back from duty in the trenches.  For six days these brave men fought alongside Frenchmen in the battle at Sechault, France at the war's end.

Freedom came at a high price when the numbers were noted.  Freedom was celebrated in towns throughout France, one to the tunes played by James Europe's band.  Freedom was honored when the Harlem Hellfighters marched down Fifth Avenue in New York City on February 17, 1919.


With each reading the words of J. Patrick Lewis become richer and richer in your mind.  His masterful use of language takes the facts gathered from research weaving them into paragraphs replete with portrayals which transport us to the precise time and place.  By telling the story of these men through separate events, noted by date and sometimes place, Lewis focuses on the most relevant and personal aspects of their contributions.  Here is a sample passage.

ACROSS THE WORLD
December 1917
The Pocahontas, a German-built troopship
seized in war, hauled away its cargo
of men and innocence.


The dust jacket features two images taken from within the pages of this title.  On the front we see the Harlem Hellfighters marching down Fifth Avenue in New York City on their arrival home at the end of the war.  On the back we see a single musician with a trombone in his hand standing in front of the Uncle Sam recruiting poster.  A light, plain, sand-colored matte paper covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Before the formal title page, Gary Kelley displays a gallery of Harlem Hellfighters' soldiers in twenty-four small portraits covering two pages.  A picture of a soldier sitting on a piano bench in front of a piano looks like a worn and torn photograph on the title page.

With his select color palette Kelley opens a door to the past.  It's emotional, personal and perfect.  A structured layout and design with alternate illustration sizes creates a pacing which involves readers sincerely and deeply.  We feel connected to these men through his detailed portrayals of specific scenes.  The accurate representations of attire, accessories, vehicles, buildings, battles and places are striking.

In a series of five illustrations, one more than a half-page on the left vertically and four of equal size on the right horizontally, he gives a haunting vision to J. Patrick Lewis's words

SOMEWHERE
in the mid-Atlantic
fog of history, two
dark ships passed
in the night.

In the largest of the five, a Harlem Hellfighter stands at the rail of the ship heading toward Europe.  On the left amid the fog, clouds and on the sea the sails of a schooner can be barely seen.  With each subsequent image the ship gets closer.  As it gets larger faces of African slaves, chains and shackles about their necks, come into view.

Harlem Hellfighters written by J. Patrick Lewis with illustrations by Gary Kelley is brilliant in its factual and visual representation of these men.  It's no surprise that the Society of Illustrators honored it recently with a silver medal.  It is also one of the selected titles on The New York Times Best Illustrated Books 2014.  On the final page eight sources are included in the bibliography and Gary Kelley lists five artist's notes.

For more information about J. Patrick Lewis and Gary Kelley please follow the links embedded in their names to access their websites.  This link to the publisher's website gives you views of pages from this book.  I have included several more links with information about the Harlem Hellfighters here, here, here and here.





It is a distinct pleasure to participate in the 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge each week.  Be sure to read about the other books highlighted by bloggers.

Bravery Comes On Four Feet

You will have to look long and hard to find loyalty as strong.  In a heartbeat they will put themselves in harm's way to protect you.  Their love is flawless; unfailing until their final breath.  All humans fortunate to have canine friends know this to be true but each time a story is told or written and read, respect for them swells.

To know all these traits continue even on the battlefields of war is incredible.  Award-winning nonfiction author, Ann Bausum, shines the light on the accomplishments of a four-legged hero in Stubby The War Dog: The True Story of World War I's Bravest Dog (National Geographic, May 2014).  The best things do come in small packages.

The dog came out of nowhere.
No one knows the details of his breeding or birth.   No one knows whether he had looked on anyone else as master, how long he'd wandered without a home, whether he was lost or abandoned.  No one knows whether he'd ever had another name.

As recruits from New Haven, Connecticut trained on the grounds of Yale University in 1917 in preparation for entering the fighting in Europe during World War I, a new member entered their ranks.  Clever and quick, he swiftly attached himself to one particular solider, 25-year-old J. Robert Conroy. All summer wherever the soldier was Stubby was there too.  When word reached the 102nd Infantry of their deployment overseas, the dog decided to hop aboard the train taking them to Newport News, Virginia.   Affection for Stubby having grown, Conroy with help smuggled his pal aboard the Minnesota.

Among the first Americans to arrive in France, the Yankee Division (a nickname), including the 102nd Infantry, continued to refine their skills as they waited for more troops to arrive.  Stubby stuck by Conroy adjusting to their new environment honing his own abilities.  He learned to sit up on his two back legs, and raise his right front paw in a salute.  It is said he could detect the sound of incoming artillery fire, barking out a warming.  Rightly so, Conroy feared for Stubby's safety during gas attacks. He was fitted with a special mask.  Using his unique capabilities he would sound the alarm prior to these strikes by the enemy also.

His presence was a beacon of hope and comfort to all those soldiers.  In fact sadness settled over the group during his absence for several months after being wounded.  In and out of the trenches Stubby proved himself repeatedly to be as useful as his human counterparts.  As the American troops advanced he gave assistance in finding enemy soldiers or seeking out the wounded after battles.

At the conclusion of the fighting, every decoration a soldier received could be found on Stubby's uniform.  Yes...he had a uniform, a coat of sorts.  Upon their return home, Stubby and J. Robert Conroy were seen together in parades and in a vaudeville show.  He was even nominated and received a new award by the Eastern Dog Club, Hero Dog.

As Stubby's fame continued to expand through the efforts of his human, so did the scrapbook documenting his life. Sometime during their duty overseas, Conroy started to save visual and written mementos. The bond between this amazing animal and the man he choose is one to remember.  It's a piece of American history preserved forever in an exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington, D. C.


This outstanding nonfiction book begins with a forward by Curtis Deane, grandson of J. Robert Conroy.  In this writing Deane concludes with

His deep-seated attachment and respect for Stubby lasted a lifetime:  He never raised---or was raised by---another dog again.

Ann Bausum continues with an introduction and body of work which explains the basis for this statement by Deane. To tell you the truth once I started I could not stop reading this title.  Ann Bausum's research is impeccable; wide and deep.  Her ability to glean information and present it to readers as a story is remarkable.

In telling readers about the relationship between J. Robert Conroy and Stubby she centers it among descriptive circles of information about World War I and a past United States.  She skillfully provides enough facts to engage her readers without overwhelming them in details; connecting us to this title as if we are participants.  Here is a single passage.

In January of 1918 Col. John Henry Parker became the commander of Conroy's regiment.  This seasoned veteran of other American wars had earned the nickname "Machine Gun" Parker because of his expertise in the use of these rapid-firing weapons.  Parker knew Stubby because Conroy served in the colonel's headquarters company.  It was later reported that "Stubby was the only member of his regiment that could talk back to him and get away with it." When it came time for the 102nd to head to battle, Machine Gun Parker ordered Stubby to go, too. Now Stubby was the mascot for Conroy's entire regiment, not just its headquarters company.

The patriotic starburst background on the dust jacket behind Stubby in his full military regalia is repeated at the beginning of each chapter highlighting a photograph and quote. A full two-page illustration spans the book case, zooming in on Stubby on the left with several sets of men legs in uniform and the butt end of a rifle showing to his right.  The opening and closing endpapers are a blown up photograph of Stubby swimming with his pal, Conroy.

The design and layout of the actual images, newspaper clippings, quotations and text, especially the green backgrounds are mirroring that of Stubby's scrapbook.  Image sizes are varied to enhance and support the text.  I concur with the author in her assessment of one of the most personal photographs of Stubby and J. Robert Conroy.  The two are standing beneath a tree.  Conroy in uniform is starring down at Stubby, smiling, as he places his two front paws up on Conroy's thighs gazing upward.  They are frozen in time, a love not forgotten.


Will dog lovers like this book?  Absolutely.  Will readers who like to read war stories like this book?  Without question.  Is Stubby The War Dog: The True Story of World War I's Bravest Dog by Ann Bausum a book anyone can enjoy?  Yes. Yes. Yes.

At the book's conclusion Ann Bausum includes a two-page Time Line, several pages of Research Notes (Acknowledgments), a Bibliography, Resource Guide, Citations, an Index, and Illustration Credits.  Please visit Ann Bausum's website linked above in her name.  She provides lots of educational and interesting extras.

This post is several days late but I would not miss the 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge held at Kidlit Frenzy each week.  I have benefited from this weekly fun hosted by Alyson Beecher.