‘The Afghanistan Pup’ by Mark Wilson follows the story of a stray puppy born on the first day of spring (Nowruz) in Afghanistan. The young pup finds himself abandoned and hungry until he is rescued by Kinah. She nurses him back to health and in turn they form a strong bond. As a young girl, Kinah is faced with both the dangers of living in a conflict zone as well as the struggle to continue her education. In a society where many believe that girls should not be educated, she must be careful. The pup accompanies her to school until one day the school comes under attack by insurgents.
The pup wakes to find himself alone, injured and unable to find Kinah. Despite returning to the schoolhouse each night to look for Kinah he cannot find her. His situation looks dire until he is rescued by an Australian soldier with whom he forms a loyal bond.
As is the reality of war, the soldier is tragically killed in action. When the pup realises his friend is not returning, he makes one final journey. Returning to the school he is reunited with his young friend Kinah.
Powerfully evocative, the illustrations convey the emotion of the story, allowing the reader to sense both the hope and turmoil of war. The illustrations combine media reports and officer’s reports with both black and white pencil drawing and colourful textured artworks. The inclusion of the reports creates a collage and layering effect to the illustrations. The reports allow the reader to fill important gaps in the story and bring a sense of realism to the lived experiences of civilians and soldiers alike. Combining line drawings and a mixture of mediums the artworks very in style from super realism, black and white sketches to poster style.
The endpapers provide further historical information.
The story ends on a note of hope and is a testament to the friendships that can be forged in war and to highlight the special bond that exists between people and animals.
Mark Wilson series ‘Animals in War’
Picture Books for Older Readers
