Charlie’s War Illustrated - Remembering World War One

A collage approach makes this picture flat a brilliant book to support school study of World War One. Real photographs intermingle with illustration and a first person narration of Charlie's (grandfather of Mick Manning) experiences from signing up to fight under threat of Lord Kitchener's commanding finger, waving to the crowds at French ports and tasting watermelons on tour in Egypt to the horrors of the Western front and the terrors and tragedies of the trenches before claiming victory and becoming a veteran.

All the basics are covered and each spread covers a new topic - quickly moving over the more traumatic aspects and paying homage to the survivors and commemorative traditions that continue today. A helpful glossary covers any new terms and the speech bubbles and short bursts of texts could charm reluctant readers. World War One is an overwhelming topic but there is a wealth of inventive and interesting presentations of this material in the current climate of children's literature. The simplicity of Charlie's text will make it a useful addition to any classroom.