A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dumon Tak, B. 2011. SOLDIER BEAR.Ill. by Hopman, P. Grand Rapids, MI, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780802853752
B. PLOT SUMMARY
Soldier Bear tells the story of an orphaned bear cub adopted by a group of Polish soldiers in Iran. The soldiers raise the bear and eventually enlist him as a soldier to ensure that he stays with the company. He travels with them from Iran to Italy, and then on to Scotland. Voytek's mischief gets him into trouble along the way, but he also provides some unexpected encouragement for the soldiers amidst the reality of war: Voytek learns to carry bombs for the company, saves the camp from a spy, and keeps them constantly entertained with his antics.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS( INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Yet another vividly-described story about the horrors of war. In this book, Tak not only describes the difficult decisions and sacrifices the soldiers faced and made, but she also shows coping mechanisms that soldiers used that made a senseless and deadly situation more bearable. Tak also shows how culture plays an important factor in the soldier’s perspective of each other and the war.
Although there were not very many direct cultural references made that one could make comparisons to, the characters made comments that clearly showed what they felt about their enemy. During their routine deliveries, Stanislov looks out at the mountain range and says, “Those sauerkraut munchers are everywhere” as he referred to the Germans hiding in the crevices and valleys of the mountains. During a disagreement with Lolek, Stanislov says “...the way he was behaving, anyone would say he was a Kraut”, a nickname for a German. The Polish soldiers were accepted well in all camps including the British and American camps. There was no discord or issues between the regiments due to cultural differences.
A culture that needs to be addressed, however, that does not have anything to do with customs or traditions is the culture within the camp and among soldiers. Tak does an excellent job of showing how Voytek (the bear), Dottie the dalmatian, and Kaska the monkey provided a great relief and distraction for the soldiers during the war. The soldiers were able to forget, even for a moment, the terrible battles they were fighting as they experienced Voytek and the other animals’ performances and mischievous antics. The soldiers were so enamored with the creatures that they would feed them, bathe them and even mourn the loss of both Kaska and her baby. This brought about a tighter unity in the camp as they all strived to protect and love the mascots.
This book is an excellent and accurate representation of what soldiers and the citizens went through during World War II. The fact that the author used a real bear to create a story around makes this book more engaging and more believable.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
2012 Batchelder Award
Horn Book : “In 1941, Polish soldiers escaped to Iran where they joined the British army--and adopted a bear cub who became a functioning member of their group. Tak makes a fascinating tale of the wartime progress of the clever animal. First published in Holland in 2008, this fictionalized account of one of World War II's happier oddities includes appealing drawings and clear historical maps.”
ALA Booklist: “Based on a true story, Tak's warm, frank, funny novel follows a cadre of Polish soldiers and an adopted bear from Italy to Iran and back again. Along the way, it exposes a little known facet of WWII and shines a light on a bit of irreverent resilience that blossomed in its shadow. Four friends find the bear as a cub, christen him Voytek, and enroll him as a bona fide soldier in the Polish army. While part of the service, Voytek turns heads, wreaks havoc, boosts morale, and performs his official soldierly duties, including moving live ammunition. In clear, straightforward prose (as translated by Laura Watkinson), Tak offers an engaging story of grown-up protagonists and situations, focusing on Voytek's exploits and his interactions with a menagerie of other animals. Hopman's expressive grease-pencil illustrations add to the story's accessibility, grounding the proceedings with charm. An afterword featuring archival photographs of the real Voytek closes this uplifting, welcome addition to WWII studies.”
E. CONNECTIONS
**Students can create a timeline of the events of WWII.
**Teachers can extend the activity and ask students to write about how the mascots made the soldiers’ lives better.
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