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"An exceptional picture book about the courage of those on the front lines of WWI, humans and animals."
October 2026 Debut of the Month
This picture book is virtually wordless but Lyndsay Roberts Rayne’s illustrations, powerful and moving, tell an unforgettable story of love, courage and sacrifice during World War One.
In the quiet of the English countryside a little girl is given a puppy. Soon the two are thick as thieves, playing happily in the fields as the seasons pass. But the war is waging across the Channel and the little girl’s father is one of those in the trenches. She sees signs calling for people to donate their pets to the military to become messenger dogs and responds, a letter explaining: Dear Daddy, I am sending someone special to help.
Her dog is as loving, playful and happy with her new owner, a dog handler, and another special bond forms. Both display enormous courage on the front line and eventually make it back to the peace of the farm.
All this is conveyed through beautifully composed panels and double pages, the war scenes, explosions of reds and blacks, contrasting with the greens and golds of the fields of home. The characters, human and canine, are as vivid and realistic too so that we feel all that they do.
The final pages feature photographs of real dogs and their handlers, as well as other animals who played their part in the war. It’s a triumph of visual storytelling and while there are many superb books about WWI this succeeds completely in bringing it all – home front and front lines – alive for young readers.
This will complement books such as Where the Poppies Now Grow by Hilary Robinson and Martin Impey and Archie’s War by Marcia Williams.
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.
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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 5-10 years old
The Messenger features in the following genres: Featured Books for 5+ readers, Featured Books for 7+ readers, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Historical Fiction, Children’s: picture books, activity books, early learning concepts, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Hardback, Paperback. £8.99, down from the £9.99 cover price. In Stock.
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. In Stock.
