From brilliant debut talent Lyndsay Roberts Rayne, this is the incredible moving story of how one small WWI messenger dog made a huge sacrifice. It's a story of war, friendship, comfort and courage.
For thousands of years, animals have found themselves caught up in human conflicts and have accompanied us in our darkest hours. In WWI, over 30,000 dogs served Britain, France and Germany. These dogs - rescues, pets or ex-police dogs - had crucial roles. The Messenger, with brilliant sensitivity and powerful, filmic illustrations, follows one dog from his idyllic puppyhood on a rural farm to a war dog training camp, and from there by train to the trenches.
It is there that the dog, and its human, face the ultimate challenge of what it is really like to be on the front line.
This stunningly illustrated, wordless story is a beautiful exploration of the unbreakable bond between humans and animals, and is a gentle but still very real introduction to themes of war for readers of all ages. A book to be treasured forever.
| ISBN: | 9781526682475 |
| Publication date: | 24th September 2026 |
| Author: | Lyndsay Roberts Rayne |
| Publisher: | Bloomsbury Children's Books an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 64 pages |
| Suitable For: | |
| Other Genres: |
From brilliant debut talent Lyndsay Roberts Rayne, this is the incredible moving story of how one small WWI messenger dog made a huge sacrifice. It's a story of war, friendship, comfort and courage.For thousands of years, animals have found themselves caught up in human conflicts and have accompanied us in our darkest hours.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Messenger and determined it is suitable for children aged 7-8 years old
The Messenger features in the following genres: Featured Books for 7+ readers, Animal Stories, Warfare & Battles, Children’s: picture books, activity books, early learning concepts, Recommendations, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage: General interest
Hardback, Paperback. £8.99, down from the £9.99 cover price. Pre-order. 24th September 2026.
The Messenger was written by Lyndsay Roberts Rayne and published by Bloomsbury Children's Books an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
The Messenger has 64 pages
£8.99, reduced from £9.99. Pre-order. 24th September 2026.
