The Story of the First World War for Children: 1914-1918sets out to explain WWI in a child friendly format that actually makes it a good resource for many age groups.
What impressed me first was the two page spread that explains the origins of the war. This has often been my biggest complaint about children's books that cover wars. In an effort to make the material accessible to children the causes of any war, but specifically this one seem to be very vague and confusing.
Using small panels and lots of photographs this is the best of the books I've reviewed so far in discussing the origins of the war. I was amazed to see a small panel that goes back and explains the tensions between France and Prussia left from the Franco Prussian war and tying this to future alliances. I've rarely seen the Franco Prussian War mentioned in a children's book and it was wonderful to see them use it in a format that has such limited space.
I'm a huge fan of books that include relevant maps for children. Some are obscure and hard to read, thus are often ignored. This map laid out the alliances and neutral countries of Europe in 1914. The map is accompanied by text boxes that explain the alliances and why different countries were drawn to different alliances. I was impressed that the author managed to sum up the material in a child friendly format without over simplifying the material. The maps were tied directly to the information being presented and thus more likely to be read and used by parents, teachers, and students using the book to understand the physical relationships of the countries prior to the war
The book is set up in two page topical photograph spreads. The following topics are included Europe Divided, Gearing Up for War, The Peace is Shattered, Europe Goes to War, The British Army, The Fighting Begins, The Eastern Front, The Western Front, The French Army, Digging In, Trench Warfare, The Great Guns, The German Army, The Gallipoli Campaign, The War at Sea, War in Africa, Chemical Warfare, Italy Enters the War, War in the Air, 1916 A Year of Battles, The First Tanks, America Joins the War, 1917 No End in Sight, War in the Desert, Women at War, 1918 The Last Great Battles, 1918 The War Ends, Animals at War, Legacy of War, and The Art of War. I try to include the topic headings as these are not often available when you are looking to buy a book and if you don't have the chance to preview before you buy it is nice to know what the book covers.
Some of these topics are covered in almost any children's book about World War I and I don't plan on discussing where this book duplicates other's efforts. However, it does have some unique content I quite liked. While most mention the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand as one of the final acts that lead to war, this book actually explains again using photographs and text boxes what happened and why. The discussion of the Black Hand being part of the Bosnian separatists movement is just not something you find in most children's books on the topic of World War I. While keeping the content accurate the authors manage to present the information in a way most elementary students could grasp. Again I also think this makes it a strong resource for older students, too.
I found the section devoted to Russia's role in the early part of the war interesting as well. When we hear about Russian it is usually about Russia making peace with the Central powers as the Revolution over takes the country. It is almost as if knowing the outcome we skip the story of how we got there and do little to address Russia's role in the war. This book devotes a two page spread to how things fell apart for the Russians on the Eastern front. Clearly it isn't an in depth study but it is a good fit for a picture book format and honestly more than you will find in longer children's books devoted to the topic of WWI.
The section on the Gallipoli Campaign was also unique to this book. Turkey's role in the war is also not as well covered as the Europeans in children's history books. This is only one battle, but it does remind us to discuss the role of Turkey as a central power in the war.
War in Africa was another important section as World War I was really the beginning of the end for European Colonial power in Africa. This book did a good job in addressing how Germany lost its colonies. One thing I appreciated was the author including the colonies" names for historical reference and the modern countries names. My one criticism is while the author included a colonial map of Africa with a key to demonstrate which European countries controlled the colonies, it would have been extremely beneficial to have a modern map showing where those colonies had evolved into modern countries. While the names help, maps are always a useful tool.
The role of Italy in the war was also interesting and might surprise children since they switched sides in the next war. The book provides a summary of the battles and does a nice job of explaining the choices made by Italy which were complex. The author does a great job giving a general explantion of the role of Italy without over simplyfying.
Last I thought showing the children the recruitment posters and one picture painted by a soldier from the time was unique and important as it demonstrates what governments were using to motivate people to join the fight and how that fight was expressed in the art of those who fought. I wished they had access to more art from those who fought.
The other sections were equally strong, but not unique. The material does appear in other children's books on the topic and one can argue which children will appreciate, understand, or process better. I chose to focus this review on what I found to be unique about this book. While a picture book it is a powerful way to educate children about World War I.
