Weintraub, Robert. No Better Friend: A Man, A Dog, and Their Incredible True Story of Friendship and Survival in World War II. Non-fiction. Little, 05/2016. 283[+4]pp. $16.99. 978-0-316-34467-8. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 5-ADULT.
Judy, an English Pointer, was one of the most celebrated heroes of WW II in postwar England. As a puppy she survived by her wits in the streets of Shanghai. During the Sino-Japanese War and WW II, she was looked after by a series of English naval men and took great risks to protect them—again and again— when their ships were bombed and sunk. Just before the fall of Singapore to the Japanese, a shy 22-year-old sailor, Frank Williams, took over Judy’s care. The two bonded with such force that together they survived near-fatal scrapes with prison guards; starvation; illness; and exhaustion in a POW camp in the Sumatran jungle. The author includes sidebars of historical wartime events and back matter with a timeline and bibliography. No Better Friend brings the Pacific Theater of WW II to life through the moving true story of a wily and big-hearted dog. Review based on an ARC.
Katrina Bergen, Berkeley PL