This books contains several fictional stories about animals that play a remarkable role in WWI. Find out how they came to the aid of a Canadian platoon who took Vimy Ridge.

This was an interesting blend of fiction and truth, interspersing a made-up, animal-centric storyline about men in a Canadian platoon during WWI with real facts about the animals featured in the different chapters.

On one hand, I really loved learning about all those different animals from WWI–and the Canadian platoon they were with, since I barely even knew before now that Canada participated in WWI! But then at times I felt like the way it was done, switching between chapters of fictional stories and then nonfictional explanations, made the narrative feel really disjointed. I kept forgetting who the various people were for quite a long time because I didn't read about them for so long in between chapters.

Also, and I suppose this is just an interesting cultural perspective, there is a lot of emphasis put on the supposed superiority of Canadian military tactics (basically, the generals see their soldiers as equals and give them room to interpret assignments as they wish) over the much more top-down American and British structures. While it does sound like the Canadian system is the one I would like to be in, I really don't know enough about military tactics to know which is ideal; I do, however, know from reading the book that Brouwer is definitely heavily in favor of Canada. And it's actually really interesting to read about WWI and military tactics from such a different angle than I usually do. I mean, let's be honest, there's really not much material out there about the Canadian perspective on most of the big wars.

Basically, it's a good book with a lot of interesting details that gets bogged down at times by the alternating format it's written in. I still liked it, though, and I suspect a lot of other people–especially kids with a passion for army history–will too, If you read it, please be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from a LibraryThing Early Reviewer giveaway. ( )

What an interesting and inspiring set of stories! I feel like World War I so often gets eclipsed by the Second World War that I know so much less about it. I certainly wasn't aware of these stories of animals serving in war zones. Wonderful book, and I'm so glad I read it. ( )

Innocent Heroes by Sigmund Brouwer. Innocent Heroes is a book about the animals that are caught up in the horrors of World War One. Each fictional chapter is followed by the true story that inspired it. The stories not only talk about the heroism of the animals involved but also address issues of racism, the bond between soldiers, and the rise of the a national identity for Canada. I found the stories to be very heart warming and the three main human characters soon become very real. The amazing stories of the dogs, pigeons, horses, mules, and cats that interact and often save the lives of their human companions reinforce the bond that we know we have with the animal world. An important book for both young adults and adults. The history behind the stories of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and its part in the rise of of a Canadian identity was also most interesting. ( )

Great historical fiction book about animals and their role during World War I. I like how after each chapter there is a section talking about the real animal that the previous fictional account is based from and gives other information about the soldiers and what they experienced during WWI. There is an bibliography, index, and a photo caption section in the back of the book. Highly recommend for upper elementary and middle school grades. ( )