What do you think?
Rate this book
The Little Ships: The Heroic Rescue at Dunkirk in World War II
In May of 1940 -- the early days of World War II -- half a million British and French soldiers were trapped in France. Weak and wounded, they needed aid. Help came in the form of countless small craft, steered by brave young men, in the legendary armada of "little ships" that sailed aross the English Channel. Many people wanted to be a part of the rescue mission.
Here is the story of a girl who was so determined to help that she disguised herself as a boy to blend in with the men as they sailed toward Dunkirk.
Here is the story of a girl who was so determined to help that she disguised herself as a boy to blend in with the men as they sailed toward Dunkirk.
32 pages, Paperback
First published March 13, 1997
3 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Louise Borden
34 books47 followersThere were already two Louises in my family when I was born: my mother and my grandmother, Nana, who lived with us when I was growing up. So early on, I was given the name Leezie. This is a name that my family still calls me. Years later, my niece was born and also named Louise. Then there were four of us with the same name! Louise is a fine name to have except that people often spell it incorrectly. Sometimes my mail is addressed to Louisa, or Louisie, or Lewis, or Lois. Leezie is also tough for people to spell. Names and their pronunciations have always interested me, so writing about a teacher named Mrs. Kempczinski was a natural thing for me to do.
I grew up in a house at the top of a steep street in Cincinnati, Ohio, the kind of street that is a big challenge when you are pedaling uphill on your bicycle. My two sisters and I used to ride our bikes down, down our street, and then to the local dimestore to buy candy bars or meet up with our friends. But coming home, we had to pedal up our long hill. (This was before mountain bikes!) Pedaling slowly up my street may be where I learned perseverance, something all writers need when they are working alone at their desks.
Writing picture books came much later—after studying history in college, getting married, and raising three children. Even though I didn't grow up to be a composer, I like to think that my picture books are almost songs because the sound of words and the poetry of my style are so important in the texts that I write. I work very hard at my desk, revising and revising and revising, trying to find just the right words that will be beautiful or fun to read.
I grew up in a house at the top of a steep street in Cincinnati, Ohio, the kind of street that is a big challenge when you are pedaling uphill on your bicycle. My two sisters and I used to ride our bikes down, down our street, and then to the local dimestore to buy candy bars or meet up with our friends. But coming home, we had to pedal up our long hill. (This was before mountain bikes!) Pedaling slowly up my street may be where I learned perseverance, something all writers need when they are working alone at their desks.
Writing picture books came much later—after studying history in college, getting married, and raising three children. Even though I didn't grow up to be a composer, I like to think that my picture books are almost songs because the sound of words and the poetry of my style are so important in the texts that I write. I work very hard at my desk, revising and revising and revising, trying to find just the right words that will be beautiful or fun to read.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 7, 2024
An excellent story told in the first person of a young girl who went to Dunkirk to help her fisherman dad to help rescue the 338,000+ English and French soldiers evacuate from Dunkirk. The author’s notes and the end were helpful as well.
November 5, 2022
A great tale about a little girl and her fisherman father going to assist with the Dunkirk rescue!
Ages: 6 - 12
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
Ages: 6 - 12
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
July 11, 2017
Outstanding juvenile historical fiction about the WWII Dunkirk evacuation targeted to 8 - 12 year olds, but a worthy read for grown-ups who like kid fiction and anyone who gets a tear in their eye thinking of all those little boats voluntarily going into the way of grievous harm to rescue allied troops.
The hero is anonymous: a sturdy, strong, helpful and hardworking GIRL - thank you, gods of historical fiction. Her dad, Martin Gates, is a fisherman who owns the fishing boat Lucy and when word is passed that small boats are needed to get allied troops out of France, he and his friends answer that call as does his daughter - with his permission.
This is a great read for that element if nothing else: a family that works together bravely doing the right thing, a Dad who respects his child's wish to be of service to her country and doesn't undervalue her because of her gender or her age. I do wish there had been a Mum in the story that also appreciated her daughter's courage but I suspect publishers think very little of the courage of Mums in storybooks, more's the pity.
The illustrations are beautifully done, understated but moving. The Gates' rescue a dog off the beach whom they name Smokey Joe, and Smokey Joe is an optimistic thread through all the illustrations.
All together this is an excellent read-it-yourself for older readers (of any age), and a good bedtime story book for younger kids.
The hero is anonymous: a sturdy, strong, helpful and hardworking GIRL - thank you, gods of historical fiction. Her dad, Martin Gates, is a fisherman who owns the fishing boat Lucy and when word is passed that small boats are needed to get allied troops out of France, he and his friends answer that call as does his daughter - with his permission.
This is a great read for that element if nothing else: a family that works together bravely doing the right thing, a Dad who respects his child's wish to be of service to her country and doesn't undervalue her because of her gender or her age. I do wish there had been a Mum in the story that also appreciated her daughter's courage but I suspect publishers think very little of the courage of Mums in storybooks, more's the pity.
The illustrations are beautifully done, understated but moving. The Gates' rescue a dog off the beach whom they name Smokey Joe, and Smokey Joe is an optimistic thread through all the illustrations.
All together this is an excellent read-it-yourself for older readers (of any age), and a good bedtime story book for younger kids.
March 18, 2020
A lovely short story about the rescue of the encircled soldiers at Dunkirk by, amongst others, a little flotilla of civilian boats, told from the point of view of a young girl who goes on this mission with her father, a fisherman. Quite good to teach young children about this period of history.
April 18, 2011
After the Germans did the very thing that no one expected them to do, entering France from the north through Belgium instead of trying to cross the well fortified Maginot Line, they were able to trap British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on beaches of Dunkirk. Operation Dynamo was immediately organized to evacuate the BEF using small fishing and pleasure boats to ferry the soldiers from the beach to larger ships anchored a little further out to sea.
Louise Borden has written a lovely children’s book describing the evacuation from the point of view of a young girl, whose name we never learn, living in a coastal town in southern England called Deal. Her father, Martin Gates, owns a fishing boat named the Lucy and her older brother John is off fighting in somewhere in France.
When the call goes out for people to register their boats for the evacuation, she puts on one of her father’s fishing caps, her brother’s patched old fishing trousers and goes with her father to register for the rescue.
First, the two of them sail the Lucy to Ramsgate, where they join an armada of other small boats. Then, father and daughter head across the English Channel to Dunkirk, pulled by towropes attached to the bigger ships. Arriving in Dunkirk, they ferry boatload after boatload of soldiers from the beach to the ships, always keeping an eye out for her brother John. And even though they ask the soldiers about him, no one can give them any information.
Finally, they are forced to go back to Dover, England because their little boat is running out of fuel. On the way back, the Lucy come under fire by German planes. Their boat is hit a few times by bullets and begins taking on water, so the soldiers must continuously bail out the water with their helmets while father and daughter sail the Lucy home.
When they reach Dover, they continue making inquires about John, but still no one has any information. In the end, they return to Deal with a small black and white dog that had come over with on of the soldiers. The dog is named Smokey Joe, which is the name for a coal-burning minesweeper, the Lucy followed going to Dunkirk.
This is a small, but powerful story of Dunkirk. The anonymous narrator keeps the story focused on the heroes and events she is describing and deflects it from herself, yet it is still a personal story. Her descriptions are an interesting contrast to the beautiful watercolor illustrations done by Michael Foreman, one of my favorite children’s book illustrators. The rescued dog Smoky Joe is a red thread throughout the story. He is first visible in one of the earlier illustrations of the soldiers clutching him while still on the beach just before being rescued. Later, the dog and soldier are depicted being pulled out of the water and onto the safety of the Lucy. And again, the last picture of the narrator, still on the Lucy and holding the dog. The dog is a symbol of success and hope and even though they never find information regarding the whereabouts of John Gates, the dog represents the hope that he will come home too.
There is an Author’s Note at the back of the book that is very interesting. It gives some of the facts and figures regarding the evacuation of Dunkirk, for example number of small ships that participated and number of rescued soldiers. It also provides an excerpt from Winston Churchill’s speech to Parliament about the evacuation, reminding people (then and now) that while the rescue was indeed a miracle, it was not a victory.
This is an excellent book for introducing the topic of Dunkirk to younger kids but is also a good teaching tool for older kids who may already know something about World War II. The rescue at Dunkirk is a well known story and this book does try to add anything to that. It is basically a straightforward narrative. It has none of the exciting events found in stories about Dunkirk for older kids. There is enough realism in it, but not so much that it would be too gory or scary.I read this to my 8 year old niece and it sparked lots of questions about the war, but in all fairness, it is a subject she does know something about from reading about Molly in the American Girl books.
This book is recommended for readers age 8-12.
This book was borrowed from the Webster Branch of the NYPL.
Louise Borden has written a lovely children’s book describing the evacuation from the point of view of a young girl, whose name we never learn, living in a coastal town in southern England called Deal. Her father, Martin Gates, owns a fishing boat named the Lucy and her older brother John is off fighting in somewhere in France.
When the call goes out for people to register their boats for the evacuation, she puts on one of her father’s fishing caps, her brother’s patched old fishing trousers and goes with her father to register for the rescue.
First, the two of them sail the Lucy to Ramsgate, where they join an armada of other small boats. Then, father and daughter head across the English Channel to Dunkirk, pulled by towropes attached to the bigger ships. Arriving in Dunkirk, they ferry boatload after boatload of soldiers from the beach to the ships, always keeping an eye out for her brother John. And even though they ask the soldiers about him, no one can give them any information.
Finally, they are forced to go back to Dover, England because their little boat is running out of fuel. On the way back, the Lucy come under fire by German planes. Their boat is hit a few times by bullets and begins taking on water, so the soldiers must continuously bail out the water with their helmets while father and daughter sail the Lucy home.
When they reach Dover, they continue making inquires about John, but still no one has any information. In the end, they return to Deal with a small black and white dog that had come over with on of the soldiers. The dog is named Smokey Joe, which is the name for a coal-burning minesweeper, the Lucy followed going to Dunkirk.
This is a small, but powerful story of Dunkirk. The anonymous narrator keeps the story focused on the heroes and events she is describing and deflects it from herself, yet it is still a personal story. Her descriptions are an interesting contrast to the beautiful watercolor illustrations done by Michael Foreman, one of my favorite children’s book illustrators. The rescued dog Smoky Joe is a red thread throughout the story. He is first visible in one of the earlier illustrations of the soldiers clutching him while still on the beach just before being rescued. Later, the dog and soldier are depicted being pulled out of the water and onto the safety of the Lucy. And again, the last picture of the narrator, still on the Lucy and holding the dog. The dog is a symbol of success and hope and even though they never find information regarding the whereabouts of John Gates, the dog represents the hope that he will come home too.
There is an Author’s Note at the back of the book that is very interesting. It gives some of the facts and figures regarding the evacuation of Dunkirk, for example number of small ships that participated and number of rescued soldiers. It also provides an excerpt from Winston Churchill’s speech to Parliament about the evacuation, reminding people (then and now) that while the rescue was indeed a miracle, it was not a victory.
This is an excellent book for introducing the topic of Dunkirk to younger kids but is also a good teaching tool for older kids who may already know something about World War II. The rescue at Dunkirk is a well known story and this book does try to add anything to that. It is basically a straightforward narrative. It has none of the exciting events found in stories about Dunkirk for older kids. There is enough realism in it, but not so much that it would be too gory or scary.I read this to my 8 year old niece and it sparked lots of questions about the war, but in all fairness, it is a subject she does know something about from reading about Molly in the American Girl books.
This book is recommended for readers age 8-12.
This book was borrowed from the Webster Branch of the NYPL.
May 14, 2010
This simple and beautifully illustrated book relates the extraordinary and monumental rescue of hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers from the shores of Dunkirk, France in May/June 1940. In response to a call by the British government for volunteers-with-boats, thousands of boats, large, small and absolutely tiny joined the rescue efforts. Together this motley armada sailed, motored or rowed the 50 or so miles from England's south coast to Dunkirk where they went into the shores and ferried as many as possible of the wounded, hungry, thirsty and exhausted men to bigger boats off shore and then, those not sunk or destroyed by German aircraft, struggled home, loaded to the bulwarks with grateful, exhausted men. This lovely book introduces this important and monumental historic event to youngsters. I highly recommend it to all parents who value history and the power of its affect on all our lives.
June 5, 2010
The rescue at Dunkirk is, with good reason, considered one of the shining moments of the Second World War.
And yet, there's not much written about it for children. Isn't that funny? It has all the characteristics of a good inspiring story for them - an insurmountable difficulty, a heroic effort, many saved by the efforts of the small and weak. Heck, there isn't even any Holocaust, so it can't run into the same difficulty as many WWII era picture books.
This book is from the viewpoint of a young girl whose older brother is at war, and who helps ferry people to safety on that day. It's simply told, and while the horrors of war aren't overlooked, they're not actively shown in the pictures or dwelt upon. This book is a good one, I think, for the older reader of picture books.
And yet, there's not much written about it for children. Isn't that funny? It has all the characteristics of a good inspiring story for them - an insurmountable difficulty, a heroic effort, many saved by the efforts of the small and weak. Heck, there isn't even any Holocaust, so it can't run into the same difficulty as many WWII era picture books.
This book is from the viewpoint of a young girl whose older brother is at war, and who helps ferry people to safety on that day. It's simply told, and while the horrors of war aren't overlooked, they're not actively shown in the pictures or dwelt upon. This book is a good one, I think, for the older reader of picture books.
November 8, 2013
I was trying to prove Lucy wrong and show her an exciting non fiction children's book. I found this on our shelf. It's a fantastic read aloud. Very exciting and moving with great illustrations that tell as eloquent a tale as the text does. It brought an event previously unknown to her, to life in her imagination. this book may not be a literal true tale, but as a means to capture a child's imagination and introduce her to the story of a very remarkable event in wwII in a way that engaged her and made her want to learn more about it I can't imagine a better book.
It also helped that I was able to tell her a little about my great uncle Jimmy who was one of the over 330,000 soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk by those little ships.
It also helped that I was able to tell her a little about my great uncle Jimmy who was one of the over 330,000 soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk by those little ships.
August 25, 2011
The "heroic rescue at Dunkirk" is a fantastic story, full of incredible bravery sadness. Louise Borden's story of Dunkirk, told from the point of view of a fisherman's daughter who dresses as a boy (with her father's knowledge!) to accompany him on the dangerous journey ferrying soldiers back from Dunkirk. Her poetic prose captures the excitement, adventure, enormity and chaos of the adventure. Foreman's illustrations are always a pleasure; I particularly liked the illustration of the enormous navy ship, with thousands and thousands of soldiers in uniform on the decks, headed towards England, while the small yachts sail towards France into danger.
August 11, 2012
The boys were very engaged while listening to this book. It was a fascinating story about the rescue at Dunkirk. The illustrations were great.
The worst thing about this book was that it wasn't true - based on true stories, told as if it were true, but the author did not, in fact, participate in the rescue. The boys were MAD. They had been pulled into the story so strongly they were SURE that the author had been there and then to find out she hadn't....oh, they were steamed.
But that aside, it was a fantastic book for learning about an amazing part of history. Highly recommended.
The worst thing about this book was that it wasn't true - based on true stories, told as if it were true, but the author did not, in fact, participate in the rescue. The boys were MAD. They had been pulled into the story so strongly they were SURE that the author had been there and then to find out she hadn't....oh, they were steamed.
But that aside, it was a fantastic book for learning about an amazing part of history. Highly recommended.
February 28, 2008
I love the books illustrated by Michael foreman and this is no exception. The text describes the historic rescue of hundreds of thousands of soldiers who were stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk. Even though the subject matter is difficult, Borden’s text is not overwhelming. She effectively conveys the horrors of war in an approachable way.
Would be great to use with Middle school kids too.
March 30, 2009
This is one of a few books I'm reading to learn more about the Battle of Dunkirk, and this time of history that made a significant impact in my grandfather's life. A quick read, this book is geared towards children. It offered an interesting child-friendly "story" for such a complex time in history. Difficult to suspend knowledge and "logic" in reading a child's book as an adult. Given the personal relevance of this topic, it was worth the read.
July 24, 2016
This is an outstanding history book for young children! The story is told from the perspective of a girl who plays an active role in this historic rescue. It had a perfect combination of detail and suspense and beautiful watercolor illustrations to hold the attention of my 5- and 8-yr-old.
December 11, 2011
Have to read! This book is a powerful short children's story.
October 12, 2021
A fictionalized account of a girl who dresses as a boy to help her father man their ship and rescue soldiers off the beaches at Dunkirk during WWII.
This is a highly illustrated little novel in free verse. I was a little disappointed the book didn't talk at all about the fog that helped them get the men off the beach a bit more safely, but it is still a decent recounting of the events of Dunkirk for middle graders. Due to the background illustrations I probably wouldn't go younger than 3rd grade with this as a class, maybe ok for mature 1st or 2nd graders whose guardians know they can handle it (mostly stuff in illustrations...see content notes).
Notes on content: No language issues or sexual content. There are explosions in the background, planes crashing, ships sinking, and men are slumped over and looking poorly but there's no blood or gore on page. It is mentioned that some don't make it. Bullets hit the ship at one point.
This is a highly illustrated little novel in free verse. I was a little disappointed the book didn't talk at all about the fog that helped them get the men off the beach a bit more safely, but it is still a decent recounting of the events of Dunkirk for middle graders. Due to the background illustrations I probably wouldn't go younger than 3rd grade with this as a class, maybe ok for mature 1st or 2nd graders whose guardians know they can handle it (mostly stuff in illustrations...see content notes).
Notes on content: No language issues or sexual content. There are explosions in the background, planes crashing, ships sinking, and men are slumped over and looking poorly but there's no blood or gore on page. It is mentioned that some don't make it. Bullets hit the ship at one point.
January 4, 2018
A beautifully written fictional story of a young girl aboard a small fishing boat during the rescue of soldiers at Dunkirk. The lines "I had to stand taller and help my father I had to help soldiers whose names I never knew. And not say that I was afraid to see war." captures the dedication of these ordinary citizens during this intense moment of British history. The illustrations capture the action, but I did wish they were paintings with more clear images. Good companion book for a study of bravery during wartime.
October 18, 2021
In 1940, a young girl disguises herself as a boy and sets off with her father in their small fishing boat, the Lucy, in response to England's call for boats of any size to join in the rescue of half a million British and French soldiers who were stuck in Dunkirk, France.
This is historical fiction, but as noted in the forword of the book and in the author's note at the end, this story could have very well happened. This was a quick read that was just enough to give a glimpse of the heroic efforts of all the little boats that played a part in the historic rescue at Dunkirk.
This is historical fiction, but as noted in the forword of the book and in the author's note at the end, this story could have very well happened. This was a quick read that was just enough to give a glimpse of the heroic efforts of all the little boats that played a part in the historic rescue at Dunkirk.
December 8, 2017
Initially I thought I would not like this book, but I was pleasantly proven wrong. A historical fiction book about a girl who follows her father to help rescue the soldiers in Dunkirk. Descriptive poetry that paints images in my mind of what the girl is seeing and experiencing. Also impactful forward and author's note.
September 9, 2018
I recently read Paul Gallico's Snow Goose and then discovered this picture book that highlights the courage of those 'little ships' that saved thousands of soldiers at Dunkirk during World War II. It is a story that shows how many working together can make a huge difference. For anyone studying war and highlights of courage, this is a great picture book.
January 27, 2025
Excellent fictionalized story about the amazing rescue of soldiers from Dunkirk by a flotilla of small ships, manned by ordinary people. This book is told from the point of view of a young girl who accompanies her fisherman father on the journey, knowing that her older brother could be among the soldiers waiting to be rescued. Good introduction to this event.
November 22, 2017
I'll be honest, I read this book right after I finished reading The War That Saved My Life, so this book made a lot of sense to me because I had the background knowledge from that book. For children who don't have background knowledge in WWII, this book may be a struggle for them to understand.
June 14, 2018
Cool idea for a story. It comes from the point of view of a little girl from Deal and she must help her father save British soldiers from the shores of Dunkirk. Amazing historical fiction story from a cool point of view!
June 15, 2018
Came across this by accident whilst looking for narrative non-fiction. Loved the story. But might be biased as I’d just watched Dunkirk again. A special true story about special people. Exciting and well told. Beautiful pictures also.
February 16, 2017
Factionalized account of one small fishing ship and the part it played in the evacuation of Dunkirk. Beautifully written and illustrated. Made me tear up!
July 24, 2017
Wonderful way to introduce the events of Dunkirk.
July 28, 2017
Beautiful art, and a great introduction to the events of Dunkirk.
October 18, 2017
"...over 338,000 men came home."
April 23, 2018
Genuine perspective of that time
December 22, 2018
Another story of WWII. There are so many it would be hard to know them all. This one is about one of the fisherman's boats used to rescue soldiers form England and Dunkirk and bring them to safety.
January 13, 2019
A nice brief tale about the Dunkirk rescue and the little ships that assisted and in particular the role of a young girl and her father. The way to make history relevant and alive.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews