Based on a true story, this World War II tale of friendship comes full circle when kindnesses are repaid after a solider is cared for by a nurse, the Filipino girl he helped years ago

Wonderful story about a young man that befriends a little village girl while serving in the South Pacific during World War II. The man, "Tucky Jo", saves the little girl, "Little Heart", and the rest of her village before an airstrike. Late in life, Little Heart finds him unwell and being treated in a veteran's hospital. Now a nurse, Little Heart helps Tucky Jo get the much-needed medical care that he deserved. ( )

amazing story, of unlikely friends, with an incredible twist. very sweet and heart warming story. ( )

Prolific picture-book author and artist Patricia Polacco turns to the life story of a veteran living for many years in her Michigan village in this immensely powerful biographical tale for children. The story of Johnnie Wallen, a young Kentucky boy who, at the age of seventeen, joined the US Army and shipped out to fight in the Pacific Theater during World War II, it details his experiences in the Sixth Infantry, nicknamed the "Sightseeing Sixth" because they held the record for the most consecutive days of continuous combat. While serving in the Philippines, Johnnie came across a traumatized and hungry young girl whom he named Little Heart, and struck up a friendship with her and with her village. Sharing his K-rations, helping the village find fish and hunt buffalo, Tucky Jo (as Little Heart called him), did everything he could to help, even going so far as to include the villagers in his unit's evacuation, when the Japanese were approaching. Eventually coming home to the states, marrying and then having a large family, Johnnie thought often of Little Heart. And then one day, when he was an elderly veteran in need of help himself, something unexpected happened...

According to Johnnie Wallen's daughter, who commented on his obituary notice on a website devoted to the 6th Infantry, Tucky Jo and Little Heart is mostly (80%, she said) true, and reflects Wallen's own telling of his story. And what a story it is! Little more than a child himself, Wallen truly stepped up and became a man, serving his country with honor (he was highly decorated, in both WWII and the Korean War), and also retaining his essential humanity, and helping those innocent civilians he encountered during the course of his duties. I found the story here, of friendship across cultural, linguistic, age and gender lines, immensely moving, and finished the book with a huge lump in my throat. The conclusion, in which Little Heart, now a Filipino-American nurse, finds her Tucky Jo and helps him to get the medical care he needs, might have felt too good to be true, if it weren't actually based on real events! Heartwarming, touching and ultimately satisfying, this book serves as a reminder, not only of the brave deeds of our servicemen, but of the fact that our country has, despite its various mistakes over the years, also done great good in the world. The story highlights the horrors of war, but also the human potential for goodness and the long-term after-effects of kindness. Highly recommended, to anyone looking for stories about World War II for older picture-book audiences, perhaps second through fourth grades. ( )

At a young age, Johnnie Wallen a.k.a. "Kentucky Jon," willingly joins the army after hearing of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His skill with a rifle quickly earns the respect of his outfit. While stationed in the Philippines, Johnnie meets Little Heart, a young girl who lives in the village. The two form a friendship, and Little Heart becomes a symbol of hope and peace for "Tucky Jo." Decades later, the two meet again when Little Heart is working as a nurse in America.
The book's first person point of view paired with the colloquial style gives the impression that Johnnie Wallen himself (an actual WWII veteran who died in 2010) is sharing the story, much like a grandparent telling stories of their past to a grandchild. This book illustrates the horror of war in a way that is developmentally appropriate for children, while also reinforcing the power of kindness. ( )