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And the Soldiers Sang
A young Welsh soldier fights along the Western Front during World War I, experiencing the horrors of trench warfare before participating in the famed Christmas Truce of 1914.
32 pages, Paperback
First published August 24, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 20, 2021
"In September, three hundred gangly innocents shipped out by Channel steamer from Southampton to Boulogne. Then, wedged in by heat, sweat, and stink, we rode for hours by cattle car at cattle speed, wheels click-clacking across France." And so begins this extraordinary picture-book examination of the horrors of World War I, and the brief respite from those horrors that occurred along the Western Front during the "Christmas Truce" of 1914. Narrated by Owen Davies, a young Welshman far from his Cardiff home, the text paints a realistic portrait of life in the trenches: the cold, the rats and lice, the "the constant clamor" that "made silence seem a quaint word." But then, late one wintry night, he hears a German soldier singing Stille Nacht (Silent Night), and stirred, he responds with the First Noel Soon, soldiers from both sides are venturing out into No Man's Land, and - for this night, at least - peace is breaking out...
A powerful book, with a poetic narrative that is both beautiful and terrible, and strong, expressive illustrations - they have a quality of grotesquerie to them, but also something of beauty - And the Soldiers Sang is not a picture-book for the very young. It tells an important and true story, but it has no happy ending, and isn't in the business of offering hope. The scene in which Owen Davies, dreaming of his homecoming in Wales, is shot down by a sniper, whose bullet shatters the top of his spine, is simply heartbreaking, and its placement at the conclusion of the tale leaves the reader with the impression that, yes, peace breaks out, but it never stays long enough, and is not be relied upon. I really appreciated the fact that this is not a "dumbed down" depiction of war, intended to assuage fears by imparting half truths. A beautiful thing happened, during the Christmas Truce, and light pierced the darkness. But for Owen Davies, it wasn't enough.
With its mature subject matter, and advanced vocabulary - Lewis' language is rich, and makes frequent use of British slang with which American readers may be unfamiliar (lying doggo = lying concealed; daisies = boots; Maconochie = a kind of stew served to British infantry) - this is not a book for very young children. But for more advanced students, capable of reading on their own - I'd say middle school and above - this would make an excellent title to be used in the study of World War I specifically, and war in general.
A powerful book, with a poetic narrative that is both beautiful and terrible, and strong, expressive illustrations - they have a quality of grotesquerie to them, but also something of beauty - And the Soldiers Sang is not a picture-book for the very young. It tells an important and true story, but it has no happy ending, and isn't in the business of offering hope. The scene in which Owen Davies, dreaming of his homecoming in Wales, is shot down by a sniper, whose bullet shatters the top of his spine, is simply heartbreaking, and its placement at the conclusion of the tale leaves the reader with the impression that, yes, peace breaks out, but it never stays long enough, and is not be relied upon. I really appreciated the fact that this is not a "dumbed down" depiction of war, intended to assuage fears by imparting half truths. A beautiful thing happened, during the Christmas Truce, and light pierced the darkness. But for Owen Davies, it wasn't enough.
With its mature subject matter, and advanced vocabulary - Lewis' language is rich, and makes frequent use of British slang with which American readers may be unfamiliar (lying doggo = lying concealed; daisies = boots; Maconochie = a kind of stew served to British infantry) - this is not a book for very young children. But for more advanced students, capable of reading on their own - I'd say middle school and above - this would make an excellent title to be used in the study of World War I specifically, and war in general.
November 14, 2021
I knew the true account of this story. This fictionalized account of what happened adds another dimension. I recently discovered J Patrick Lewis and am so impressed with his work. Gary Kelley's illustrations were outstanding.
April 17, 2014
1.) Describe cautions/concerns that you have with the book.
The images in the book may be a bit too realistic or dark and somber or some young readers. It is a book about war and the images of dead soldiers and battlefields may be disturbing to some young children. I would not use it below the 4th grade, which is also the lowest grade recommended by the reviewer for School Library Journal. The reviewer for School Library Journal also recommends that a teacher, "Pair it with John McCutcheon's less dark Christmas in the Trenches (Peachtree, 2006), which can be used with much younger children." Perhaps pairing it with this other book whose treatment of the war is not as grim may make it more palatable.
2.) Describe a possible application and audience for each book, for example: curricular, types of readers, grade levels, etc.
As stated above, I would not use the book below the 4th grade, but I think it would be very appropriate for most 5th graders, which is where I would use it. It would appeal to most boys, as it is nonficiton and about war. Also, since it is brief, only 31 pages and those are all filled with large illustrations and only very short captions, it would be appealing to reluctant or struggling readers. I can see it being a great addition to a 5th grade study of World History, and it would be particularly applicable to a study of WW I.
3.) (2012, January 1). School Library Journal.
http://www.booksinprint.com.leo.lib.u...
The images in the book may be a bit too realistic or dark and somber or some young readers. It is a book about war and the images of dead soldiers and battlefields may be disturbing to some young children. I would not use it below the 4th grade, which is also the lowest grade recommended by the reviewer for School Library Journal. The reviewer for School Library Journal also recommends that a teacher, "Pair it with John McCutcheon's less dark Christmas in the Trenches (Peachtree, 2006), which can be used with much younger children." Perhaps pairing it with this other book whose treatment of the war is not as grim may make it more palatable.
2.) Describe a possible application and audience for each book, for example: curricular, types of readers, grade levels, etc.
As stated above, I would not use the book below the 4th grade, but I think it would be very appropriate for most 5th graders, which is where I would use it. It would appeal to most boys, as it is nonficiton and about war. Also, since it is brief, only 31 pages and those are all filled with large illustrations and only very short captions, it would be appealing to reluctant or struggling readers. I can see it being a great addition to a 5th grade study of World History, and it would be particularly applicable to a study of WW I.
3.) (2012, January 1). School Library Journal.
http://www.booksinprint.com.leo.lib.u...
March 6, 2021
It appears the soldiers on opposite sides in WWI could tap into their common humanity for a brief respite from the horror of war....if only for a short time.
I have many books that have been illustrated by Gary Kelley and a lovely Christmas print as well. My brother, Dan, has known him for years and has gifted me and our other siblings with Kelley’s work which makes these items all the more special to me.
I have many books that have been illustrated by Gary Kelley and a lovely Christmas print as well. My brother, Dan, has known him for years and has gifted me and our other siblings with Kelley’s work which makes these items all the more special to me.
July 20, 2016
Genre: Juvenile fiction, war
Format: Print
Plot: During WWI, on Christmas day of 1914, some areas of "no man's land" laid down their weapons and joined together to celebrate the holiday. The book presents a fictionalized version of true events.
Readers advisory: War, murder, death
Review citation: SLJ 2011
Source: Children's Core Collection
Recommended age: 8+
Format: Print
Plot: During WWI, on Christmas day of 1914, some areas of "no man's land" laid down their weapons and joined together to celebrate the holiday. The book presents a fictionalized version of true events.
Readers advisory: War, murder, death
Review citation: SLJ 2011
Source: Children's Core Collection
Recommended age: 8+
April 4, 2018
Copyright:2011
Number of Pages: 31
Format: Hardcover
Reading Level: Grades 3-6
Genre: Historical
Lit requirement: Picture book for older Readers
Summary:
What happened Christmas Eve of 1914 in the Trenches across Europe? A Christmas truce. This book is a fictional narration about the truce it goes through a Cardiff native who is in the trenches and what happened that Christmas Eve. He is shot after Boxing Day.
Response:
I liked this book because it has true history in it. The Christmas truce happened 6 months into the war and it was a miracle. I also liked the pictures in the book. It shows a fraction of what soldiers had to go through during the war.
Number of Pages: 31
Format: Hardcover
Reading Level: Grades 3-6
Genre: Historical
Lit requirement: Picture book for older Readers
Summary:
What happened Christmas Eve of 1914 in the Trenches across Europe? A Christmas truce. This book is a fictional narration about the truce it goes through a Cardiff native who is in the trenches and what happened that Christmas Eve. He is shot after Boxing Day.
Response:
I liked this book because it has true history in it. The Christmas truce happened 6 months into the war and it was a miracle. I also liked the pictures in the book. It shows a fraction of what soldiers had to go through during the war.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2017
This book was set during WWI during a terrible stalemate between the armies. This book could be used to show that there are many other important stories during the war that were not always taught.
November 14, 2017
WWI 1914 Christmas truce children's book, focusing on the singing between the soldiers.
December 30, 2020
Much like the story Christmas in the Trenches , only this one was formatted more like a graphic novel in a larger format. The artwork is excellent.
February 11, 2012
A young Welshman narrates a grim yet poetic first-person account of the 1914 Christmas Eve truce between British and German troops near Ypres, Belgium, in this picture book for older readers. This is NOT a children's book. Rather, it is young adult or adult historical fiction at its most lyrical and heartbreaking. Every page is rich with imagery and figurative language, lending dignity and grace to the horrors of war reflected in Gary Kelley's haunting illustrations. An author's note on the final page provides background knowledge about the "war to end all wars," the truce and its deadly aftermath. A glossary would have been a helpful addition since Lewis's brief text is sprinkled with unfamiliar vocabulary, e.g., "doggo," "Maconochie stew," "fusilier," and "duckboard mud." My history-major husband and I spent quite a while looking up and discussing these and other unfamiliar terms. High school modern history teachers would find this an excellent introduction to World War I that is sure to spark classroom discussion.
July 29, 2016
Based on a momentary ceasefire on Christmas day with soldiers during World War 1. This books interest and comprehension level is to high for elementary age students who would be looking to picture books for entertainment and/or knowledge about the subject. Would be much better written in a small chapter book format for older kids. 3.5 stars
Edit: I just re-read this book after covering World War 1 with my daughter and LOVED it. This book is must better appreciated when the reader has some knowledge on what life was like for a soldier during the first world war. I still feel this book is better suited for older students but doesn't necessarily need to be in chapter book format as long as the reader doesn't dismiss it as "only a picture book;" I would have loved if there was even more.
Edit: I just re-read this book after covering World War 1 with my daughter and LOVED it. This book is must better appreciated when the reader has some knowledge on what life was like for a soldier during the first world war. I still feel this book is better suited for older students but doesn't necessarily need to be in chapter book format as long as the reader doesn't dismiss it as "only a picture book;" I would have loved if there was even more.
May 13, 2015
This is a short, simple tale of an unbelievable truce in the midst of a bloody war that claimed almost 10 million lives. This book haunts with its quiet prose, clear and short sentences and its sepia-toned portraits of enemies that become merely men celebrating Christmas before descending once more into warfare. The sentences are enclosed in brief blocks of print like links in a daisy chain. Phrases such as “grief arrived on the second hand, by sniper, shell, sleet, and snow” and “iced-over daisies” raise the wording to the level of poetry.
This illustrated book is ostensibly for children but its glowing message of an all-too-brief peace amidst war contrasted with stark illustrations of brown, grey, black and dusky rose make it a wonderful read for adults, too.
This illustrated book is ostensibly for children but its glowing message of an all-too-brief peace amidst war contrasted with stark illustrations of brown, grey, black and dusky rose make it a wonderful read for adults, too.
November 11, 2020
On Christmas Eve, 1914, as WW1 gets rolling, the fighting stops while British and German soldiers sing carols, play soccer and feast together.
I picked this book up because it retells this amazing event, through new eyes.
I finished it because the story is so compelling. Based on a true story, this fictionalized account reinforces the tragedy that was WW1 and is all wars that continue to be fought today. You can't read this book and not think about how the soldiers that fight and die are just tools controlled by others, and this adds to the tragic nature of the situation.
I would recommend this to be read during November as we try to remember the sacrifices that so many made in the wars of the past century.
I picked this book up because it retells this amazing event, through new eyes.
I finished it because the story is so compelling. Based on a true story, this fictionalized account reinforces the tragedy that was WW1 and is all wars that continue to be fought today. You can't read this book and not think about how the soldiers that fight and die are just tools controlled by others, and this adds to the tragic nature of the situation.
I would recommend this to be read during November as we try to remember the sacrifices that so many made in the wars of the past century.
August 28, 2012
Haunting illustrations and sparse text tell the story of a remarkable incident from WWI, in which both sides called a truce and met in the middle of the battlefield in order to celebrate Christmas.
Although this book is cataloged in the Juvenile section, it is decidedly not for young children--the author does not spare readers from the horror and cruelty of war.
At one point, the soldiers slaughter a wandering pig in order to roast the animal for Christmas dinner. Now, I won't begrudge starving, disease-addled soldiers in trenches from doing what they must to survive. I did, however, find it sad that even our celebrations of peace and fellowship require the violent death of an innocent.
Although this book is cataloged in the Juvenile section, it is decidedly not for young children--the author does not spare readers from the horror and cruelty of war.
At one point, the soldiers slaughter a wandering pig in order to roast the animal for Christmas dinner. Now, I won't begrudge starving, disease-addled soldiers in trenches from doing what they must to survive. I did, however, find it sad that even our celebrations of peace and fellowship require the violent death of an innocent.
September 21, 2012
It's difficult for me to think that people could read this book and not realize that war is terrible, and nothing heroic can change that. It's such a gorgeous book, both story and the haunting art by Gary Kelley. I was teary by the end, and read it twice more. Go find this book and read it. And then you will realize the craft of the words, although also sad, and the beauty of the illustrations. It is poetry: "In November, grief arrived on the second hand, by sniper, shell, sleet, and snow." A young soldier tells the story in what he says is his "gilded daybook, his father's parting gift" The daybook serves another poignant purpose in the story, which you will see when you read it. Great book.
December 17, 2011
A moving account of the Christmas Truce of 1914 during World War I. Images work well to bring a message of futility of war, of the carnage, grief, abysmal conditions, and longing for home. This will pair nicely with the YouTube clips I found showing actual footage of world war I soldiers, war horses, and two clips about the Christmas Truce. Pair with Jim Murphy's nonfiction, Christmas Truce.
I plan to use this with seventh and eighth graders. Reading level is approx 5.1
Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting
I plan to use this with seventh and eighth graders. Reading level is approx 5.1
Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting
May 30, 2012
It might be my family background -- Irish American; father who loved history; raised in Germany -- etc. but I never tire of the story of the Christmas Truce in WWI. It's maudlin; joyful; and dark -- all at the same time. So I was pleasantly impressed by this picture book adaptation that doesn't really shy away from the implications of taking a break from war. The illustrations are grimy; the narrator dies at the end -- but the theme of setting aside one's differences to find common ground resonates througout. Definitely for older children, but it would be a good history tie-in, providing WWI was ever taught to elementary school kids in the U.S.
March 19, 2013
This is on the 2014 Monarch list.
Wow. This book proves the power of storytelling as an entree to history. I was so moved by the fictional Welshman's experience fighting on the Western Front during the early years of WWI, and it was fascinating to learn that the Christmas truce was real. The illustrations were powerful--dark scenes, vivid faces; they helped me get a sense for the place that I otherwise wouldn't have. And the storytelling was good; this would make a good read-aloud, helped mostly by the first person narration. But the language is also poetic and very carefully chosen.
Wow. This book proves the power of storytelling as an entree to history. I was so moved by the fictional Welshman's experience fighting on the Western Front during the early years of WWI, and it was fascinating to learn that the Christmas truce was real. The illustrations were powerful--dark scenes, vivid faces; they helped me get a sense for the place that I otherwise wouldn't have. And the storytelling was good; this would make a good read-aloud, helped mostly by the first person narration. But the language is also poetic and very carefully chosen.
December 10, 2011
Grades 5-8. On Christmas Day during WWI, in 1914, in some portions of the Western Front, Allied and Axis forces set down their guns and celebrated together with meals, singing, and burying of their dead. The characters are fictional, but it is based on true events. I appreciate the story being told, but didn't care for the style in which it was presented-- the text is choppy and seems to make the connection to the story less personal. Still, there are few short stories out there about WWI.
December 13, 2011
This famous Christmas story is one that has touched many lives throughout the years. J. Patrick Lewis does an excellent job taking us back to that night when enemies became friends, and the war ceased for several hours. Told in the colloquial language of the time and illustrated with real-life caricatures of the soldiers, this book is sure to produce emotion, maybe even a few tears from the older crowd. Not recommended for young children.
February 3, 2013
An incredible story about soldiers who stopped fighting on Christmas Eve during WWII. They put down their weapons and sang "Silent Night" and forgot the war for a short time. The pictures are beautiful also. The book was so good, I looked for more titles by this author. I really enjoyed "Please Bury Me in the Library", especially the quirky little Haiku. Further searching revealed he wrote a book about twin boys and he is a twin!
August 27, 2014
Great read for ELA/Memoirs lesson or Social Studies WW1. I never knew about this famous Christmas Eve cease-fire along the Western Front. German and British soldiers sang together from the trenches only to return to battle the next day. This book offers a brief timeline leading up to the Christmas Eve truce. This book is presented in a beautifully illustrated, graphic-novel like format. It fits very well within the "multiple perspectives" format of Common Core. Best for middle schoolers.
October 7, 2016
This book is definitely something I would use for an older group of kids while I was teaching them about World War I. The pictures were very detailed and showed true character of what the war soldiers were going through during this tough time. I liked that there was a fictional character but that the book stayed true to the events of the war and talked about significant points that happened on Christmas Day. I would for sure use this book for maybe a 3rd or 4th grade history lesson.
April 30, 2013
This book is very descriptive and would be a book I would leave in my library if I was in a fourth or fifth grade classroom. This is a book about soldiers and history so for any student interested in those things this would be a perfect book. I know that last year my little brother was in 4th grade and he loved books like this.
May 6, 2016
Beautiful illustrations, beautiful prose. Tough to know where to shelve it. Currently in comics, its picture book size and width deters prospective readers. But it's a little to old to be in picture books because of its content. It's a pretty important addition to the WWI Christmas Truce canon, though, so I guess I'll have to work harder to handsell it.
January 9, 2017
Read Silent Night, Holy Night The Story of the Christmas Truce, first. It's more uplifting. Then this story with it's more interesting vocabulary and shorter, poem-like will be less harsh and more understandable. . . sad ending. Another reason to start with the former book.
The narrator is fictional. . .
The narrator is fictional. . .
February 13, 2012
This picture book about the Christmas Eve truce between Europeans and Germans in World War I is hauntingly lovely and terribly sad. It's honestly beautiful, and a story that should not be missed by World History students.
July 9, 2012
There is an older book about this event that is a much longer read aloud. This might make a nice read aloud and may be interesting to students who have read or seen War Horse. I can see teacher reading this one aloud before Christmas holidays (aka winter break).
August 15, 2012
This beautifully illustrated children's picture book tells of a Christmas truce between soldiers from Great Britain and Germany during World War I. It's a wonderful reminder that war would not happen if we got to know our neighbors.
December 13, 2012
I love books that have amazing art. The illustrator is very talented artist and the story was well written. It's another Christmas story that made me cry about what happened on the Western Front in World War I in 1914 on Christmas Eve.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews