A searchable database of books recommended by the CCBC.
More information about CCBC Choices book recommendations
Soldier Bear
CCBC Review:
During World War II, a Polish supply unit serving in Iran encountered a young boy who asked if they would trade food and money for what he was carrying in a squirming burlap bag. They opened the bag to reveal a bear cub, and the soldiers readily agreed to the trade. They named the little bear Voytek and took him into their unit as a mascot. Voytek traveled with them everywhere they went, quickly winning over even the most hardened officers with his amusing antics. He was even officially sworn into the Polish Army as a private. As he grew, the bear not only entertained the soldiers by getting into mischief, he also lifted their spirits and raised morale in the midst of war’s harsh realities. With a pitch-perfect storytelling voice, this short, poignant novel remarkably recreates a time and a place, and is all the more unusual because it’s based on something that actually happened. Black-and-white photographs accompany an author’s note at the end, showing us the real Voytek and some of the men with whom he served. ©2011 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by
Philip Hopman
Translated by
Laura Watkinson.
Translated from the Dutch
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 7-10
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
20th Century
Animals (Fiction)
Historical Fiction
Iranians and Iranian Americans
Poles and Polish Americans
Soldiers/Military
World History
World War II
Diversity subjects:
Asian
Middle East
Publisher:
Eerdmans
Publish Year: 2011
Pages: 145
ISBN: 9780802853752
CCBC Location: Fiction, Tak