Simpson's Donkey: A wartime journey to Gallipoli and beyond by Peter Stanley
Pier 9. ISBN 9781741968118. pbk, RRP $A14.99.
(Year 2+) The story of Simpson and his donkey at Gallipoli is one that
all Australian children grow up with, but how did the donkeys get to
Gallipoli in the
first place? This story, by Peter Stanley, offers some answers.
It follows the life of Sevilen, a donkey born on the island of Lemnos,
who, through the actions of a variety of masters, including Simpson,
has a remarkable
journey through the eastern Mediterranean region during the First World
War.
Told as though it is his autobiography, Sevilen's story gives us a
unique
insight into the theatres of war at that time as he encounters
Australians, New Zealanders, Greeks, Turks, Britons, Arabs and Indians.
The author has had a long association with the Australian War Memorial
as the Principal Historian and is now the Director of the Centre for
Historical research at the National Museum of Australia, so his
credentials as an historian are impeccable and his ability as a
storyteller,
engaging. It is book of World War I that will capture the imagination
and empathy of
middle to upper primary students in a way that seldom happens. It
would
be a perfect read-aloud as schools focus on the annual commemoration of
ANZAC Day as well as offering yet another example of how man is
dependent on
animals in so many ways.
At a time when I am supposed to be reading university texts, I
couldn't put this one down. I kept thinking of the ways that I could
use it if
I were still in the classroom, and wishing that I was!
Barbara Braxton