Author's hero dog story teaches children about war

Author Tom Palmer wrote the story to teach children about war in a safe environment

An author whose book tells the story of a dog stationed on Allied ships during World War Two has visited a primary school in Leeds to teach children about Remembrance.

War Dog, by Tom Palmer, is the true tale of Judy - a dog who lived on HMS Grasshopper and was the only animal ever to be an official prisoner of war.

Mr Palmer met children at Lawns Park Primary School who learned about Judy – a purebred pointer - who won a Dickin Medal, which was awarded to animals during the war.

He said it was important for children to learn about war through safe storytelling rather than on social media or in the news.

He said: "Wars are happening now and wars happened to members of our families in the past and they need to understand what war is.

"For them to find out through a children's book given to them by a librarian, a teacher or a parent, it's a safe way for them to understand about war.

"There are other narratives around war that children could see through various channels. They might see something on the news or something on a device that might give them a horrific or distorted view of war.

"A children's book I think is for me, other than talking to a parent, the best way of understanding war as safely as you can for a child."

Tom Palmer's next book is about a cat who served with the Royal Air Force

During her service, Judy was able to hear incoming enemy aircraft, providing the crew with an early warning, and she helped sailors stranded on a deserted island to find a fresh water source, saving their lives.

The visit to Lawns Park was organised through the Leeds Schools Library Service, which provides opportunities for authors to go into schools.

Headteacher Simon Chapman said it was important for children to see authors from similar backgrounds to their own and develop a love of reading.

He said: "Reading is fundamentally the most important thing our children will learn to do in their education.

"It is absolutely imperative that they are inspired to want to read. That they pick up books as much as they possibly can, that when they go home they talk about reading and even influence their parents to want to read because the skill of reading will undoubtedly take them to where they want to go in life."

Mr Palmer is now writing a book called War Cat about a feline called Pyro who flew with the Royal Air Force in World War Two.

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