'Flapper, VC is based on the true story of an Australian carrier pigeon during World War II. Raised and trained in Australia, Flapper is sent off to war in the Pacific. While on patrol deep in the jungle, Flapper's unit find themselves surrounded by enemy troops. With no other means of communication, the men's only hope of survival is Flapper, who has to evade enemy snipers and machine guns to get a message through to save the patrol.
'Flapper was awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross for his actions that day, and his medal is proudly displayed at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
'This memorable tale, illustrated with Mark Wilson's beautifully crafted and evocative artwork, is a moving story of animals in war.' (Publication summary)
Teachers' notes from publisher's website.
'Generations of Australian children have been presented with iconic figures and values associated with the events of 1915 at Gallipoli and involved in the ritual practices of remembrance exemplified by Anzac Day ceremonies throughout a corpus of children’s literature which ranges from picture books for pre-schoolers to young adult fiction. This paper aims to broadly identify the narrative strategies at work in a selection of recent stories of brave animals helping the Aussie boys under fire or paeans to the duty of personal and communal remembrance and to examine them in a larger context of national self-representation.' (Publication abstract)
'Generations of Australian children have been presented with iconic figures and values associated with the events of 1915 at Gallipoli and involved in the ritual practices of remembrance exemplified by Anzac Day ceremonies throughout a corpus of children’s literature which ranges from picture books for pre-schoolers to young adult fiction. This paper aims to broadly identify the narrative strategies at work in a selection of recent stories of brave animals helping the Aussie boys under fire or paeans to the duty of personal and communal remembrance and to examine them in a larger context of national self-representation.' (Publication abstract)
