Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War

Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War by Fiona White, illustrated by Kathleen O’Hagan (Lothian Children’s Books) HB RRP ISBN 9780 734421630

Lest we forget, our four-legged diggers served too . . .  Here is a heart-warming, beautifully illustrated tribute to the animals that served alongside our diggers in war and peacetime. 

 

Wear a Purple Poppy honours their courage and dedication and captures the spirit and importance of wearing a purple poppy on the National Day for War Animals.

 

On the National Day for War Animals, we wear a purple poppy to remember those animals who have served, and those who continue to serve, alongside our soldiers. This heartwarming tribute explores the different roles of animals in wartime, and honours their strength, courage, and dedication. From the horses and the mules to the elephants, cats, and dogs, we wear a purple poppy for you.

Wear a Purple Poppy by Fiona White

Wear a Purple Poppy began as a poem, written after I discovered the existence of the purple poppy while visiting the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. I’d instantly remembered my teenage heartbreak when I discovered that so many animals who went to war did not come home. The topic is a weighty one and I faced it the only way I know how – with words. Then, when I wore the purple poppy alongside the red poppy on remembrance days at the school where I work, the nonfiction element began to develop as the students asked me questions. In 2020 I was lucky enough to have an assessment and feedback session at the CYA Conference with Kate Stevens from Hachette. This was where the text began its journey to becoming a picture book.

Now the book, beautifully and sensitively illustrated by Kathleen O’Hagan, is due for release on February 24: National War Animal Day. Combining the poem with the nonfiction element explaining the roles of the different animals, it is a tribute to the animals who served alongside soldiers in war, and an explanation of why the small purple poppy means important, enormous, heart aching things.