As we approach ANZAC Day again, it is always lovely to have some way to really engage children with the importance of what our ANZACS did for us. Anzac Ted is a new picture book that can help you do just that, in a beautiful way that’s gentle enough for many little ones to cope with, and yet doesn’t completely avoid the more difficult subject matter.
I’m liking
What child can’t relate to a special toy that brings comfort? Anzac Ted was one such toy who belonged to grandad. Anzac gave comfort and companionship during grandad’s childhood, was taken to the battlefield to bring comfort and companionship to the soldiers, and now tells his story to a new generation as a hero who can no longer hide his battle scars.
There’s also a few paragraphs about the Anzacs at the very back of the book, which is a really useful addition for parents who might need to answer some questions that come out of this book but need to brush up on some facts.
Things that made me go hmmmm
There is nothing that doesn’t make you go hmm for a good reason. There’s an explosion scene portrayed in one of the beautiful watercolour pictures, and Anzac Ted is described as scary from the outset. I used these somewhat difficult yet important realities to talk with my 3 year old in a brief way about war and soldiers. Some kids would probably be pretty scared by this content.
The conclusion
I think it’s really important to talk about the Anzacs and the freedom we have in New Zealand in an age appropriate way with our kids. Anzac Ted can help you to do that. My 3 year old doesn’t grasp a lot of what is going on in the pictures but I have appreciated the simple presentation and balance achieved by this book that I think he will appreciate more as he gets a little older. I certainly think this is an important title for school libraries, and young readers will probably have a lot of questions that come out of the pictures and text – resulting in conversations that are beneficial.
