Winner of the 2012 Batchelder Award
Based on a real series of events that happened during World War II, Soldier Bear tells the story of an orphaned bear cub adopted by a group of Polish soldiers in Iran. The soldiers raise the bear and eventually enlist him as a soldier to ensure that he stays with the company. He travels with them from Iran to Italy, and then on to Scotland. Voytek's mischief gets him into trouble along with way, but he also provides some unexpected encouragement for the soldiers amidst the reality of war: Voytek learns to carry bombs for the company, saves the camp from a spy, and keeps them constantly entertained with his antics.
Always powerful and surprising, Bibi Dumon Tak's story offers readers a glimpse at this fascinating piece of history.
See More History & the past: general interest
See More True stories
See More Warfare, battles, armed forces
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Bibi Dumon Tak is a Dutch author who has written a number of books for young readers, including Mikis and the Donkey and Soldier Bear (both Eerdmans), both of which won the Mildred L. Batchelder Award. She lives in the Netherlands.
Annemarie van Haeringen made her debut as an illustrator in 1985. Since then she has produced many children's books, including
