"There's a ball in Heaven".... (War Game: Village Green to No-man's-land - Michael Foreman)

Member Name: tange

Product:	War Game: Village Green to No-man's-land - Michael Foreman
Date:	29/04/08 (73 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Outstanding illustrations and excellent story

Disadvantages: Reminds us of the horror of war

...."Thank God. We'll have a game when this nightmare's over."

It's about time for another book review. Once again I've been raiding the children's book shelves, but it's back to the Second World War and I've been looking at an excellent picture book aimed at an audience of 10 years and up. My Christmas read this year was War Game by Michael Foreman.

~~~THE AUTHOR.

Michael Foreman was born in Pakefield (near Lowestoft) in Suffolk on 21st March 1938. He went to art school and got an MA from the Royal College of Art. He became a full-time writer and illustrator and has also made films, he has won many awards for his illustrations of books and also for his own books that he writes and illustrates too.

Michael now lives in St. Ives (and also spends time in London) and many of his books are based in and around that area; he also writes stories that reflect the period he grew up in ~ War Game, War Boy and After the War Was Over all take the Second World War, the Great War and the conflict as their inspiration. Michael is married with three sons.

~~~THE AWARDS.

Michael Foreman has won many awards including Kate Greenaway Award (twice), Smarties Book Prize, The Kurt Maschler Award, the Children's Book Award, the Bologna Book Prize and the Francis William's Illustration Award (twice). War Game itself was the winner of the Smarties Book Prize and was commended in the Kate Greenaway Medal Awards.

~~~THE PLOT.

War Game is based on the impromptu Truce that occurred in the trenches of the Western Front at Christmas 1914. It follows the adventures of a group of four friends from Suffolk, who join the same regiment and travel to fight in France in the King's Royal Rifles. Will, Freddie, Billy and Lacey (who all play for the same local football team) begin filled with excitement but this is soon replaced by fear and horror at the horrible conditions in the trenches.

The main part of the story concerns the truce and a game of football that is played between the Germans and the British soldiers. This begins when the two sides begin to sing Christmas Carols and decide amongst themselves that they shouldn't be fighting at this time of the year. They meet in No-Man's Land, exchange photos and have a game of "footer" in the mud.

Michael Foreman dedicates the book to his four uncles who died during the Great War ~ it is these four on whom the book is based.

~~~WHAT I THOUGHT.

I was really impressed with both the story and the illustrations in this book. Michael Foreman's work is detailed and conveys a real sense of the emotions and experiences of the soldiers. The subject matter is handled sensitively ~ we are aware of the horrors and death, but they are not overplayed or glamorized in any way.

Even the sad death of the main characters is dealt with well and in a sensitive manner, so that any younger readers won't be overly upset (although there is still no doubt that they do do and that they die needlessly and horribly). Foreman is an excellent artist and this book demonstrates his talent for illustration. His watercolour pictures are well executed and make the story easy to follow.

I was a bit worried that a picture book would trivialize such a terrible thing as a war, but the book is actually made more moving because of the illustrations. The faces of the characters make them more real and really helped me to empathize with them and feel their pain at the hopelessness of war.

War Game is based on a true occurrence and this makes it all the more poignant. The fact is that a group of enemy soldiers DID have a truce on Christmas Day 1914 ~ it was reported in newspapers and recounted in several factual books about the war. Foreman merely takes a factual event and adapts it into a work of fiction; he uses the general outline of a long past event to give us a story that brings a moment in history to life.

War Game is atmospheric, thought provoking and also a very good historical tool. Foreman researched the story well ~ his pictures accurately show weapons, uniforms and other historic detail, making it a good resource for schools or anyone wanting to learn a bit more about the Great War. The book also teaches the audience about the loss involved in War and how whole communities were affected by the conflict. The boys in the story come from the same village ~ this happened a lot.

"Pals Regiments" were common and consisted of groups of men from the same communities. When one of these regiments suffered heavy casualties this resulted in terrible grief amongst those left at home. War Game is an example of this. Foreman uses recreations of recruiting posters, adverts and other period media to give added authenticity, backed up by good use of historical detail and fact.

I was particularly impressed by the way Foreman portrays the changing feelings of the village boys. They set off to "join up" full of enthusiasm and a sense of adventure. They are eager to reach the Front and take part in the exciting fight.

After a few days in mud, freezing cold and under almost constant shell fire they realize that it isn't such a big adventure anymore. Enthusiasm is quickly replaced by numbness, fear and frozen fingers ~ the pictures show the smiles on their faces replaced by grimaces, dirty clothes, haggard expressions and bags under their eyes through lack of sleep.

The game of football is a wonderful part of the book ~ Foreman really makes the event come alive and I found myself smiling at the release that the soldiers feel at being able to do something that is "normal" after all the horrors they have witnessed. There are smiles and the trenches are filled with happy noises if only for a very brief time! All too soon the Truce ends and both sides begin the slaughter again!

The book is aimed at children of ten years and older, but I enjoyed it as an adult and I have known parents who have read it to and with younger children with no problems. The use of illustrations makes it more widely accessible and more likely to appeal to children who aren't generally impressed with reading books! The language used is easy to follow and understand and the pictures help to keep the reader's interest.

It's not a long book but I really felt like I had got to know the characters in a short space of time ~ it was enjoyable as well as moving! Even though the story takes its inspiration from a GAME it is made plain that war ISN'T a game, but the soldiers are all playing their parts in it nonetheless.

On the last pages we see snow on an empty battlefield at night, with four red flowers growing. The last page shows hundreds of these flowers symbolising all those who died during the war. It's a simple image but it really brings the subject home to you!

I'm not ashamed to say that the book did upset me a little and unsettled me a lot! I got really involved with the characters, so it's not surprising that I was upset at what they had to contend with ~ I defy you not to fill up at the end when Will imagines he is going to play in a great football game in the sky!


~~~PRODUCT DETAILS:

* Paperback 80 pages (5 October, 1995)
* Publisher: Chrysalis Children's Books; ISBN: 1857937139
Currently listed on Amazon at £7.99 or it can be bought with Private Peaceful (by Michael Morpurgo) for £16.78.

There is also a non-fiction book that can be used in conjuction with the picture book, an animated film and a Read and Respond book with activity sheets to use as an educational resource.

***THIS REVIEW HAS AND WILL APPEAR ON OTHER WEBSITES***

Summary: An excellent picture book for older children