This is a surprisingly sad story about a dog whose master is killed in World War I. The story is told mostly from Rags’ point of view in a straightforward, unsentimental way. The dialogue is invented, but the story gives a dog’s-eye-view of the ways one dog helped the war effort a hundred years ago.

The illustrations were probably my favorite part of the book. Who wouldn’t fall in love with Rags?

Rags Hero Dog of WWI: A True Story by Margot Theis Raven, illustrated by Petra Brown. Sleeping Bear Press: 2014