War Dogs: Churchill and Rufus by Kathryn Selbert

War Dogs: Churchill and Rufus by Kathryn Selbert shares the life of Winston Churchill through the eyes of his pet dog, Rufus. The layout of this book is unique. Each page has a short, but vibrant passage alongside an enlarged quote from Churchill (pasted on a sticky note). This makes the story feel more authentic and personal. Reading the actual words of Churchill brings in an element of truth and reality. His phrases are bold and noteworthy. These quotes could be used to inspire a connected unit of writing and grammar to the read aloud. The illustrations help the reader connect these bigger topics and actions to something tangible. The author does an excellent job discussing World War II with rich language and cohesive fluency. The word choice is purposeful and intriguing. The book comes full circle by beginning with an introduction of their relationship. They share walks and other daily activities together, but the book closes with, “Rufus and Winston share more than walks together. Walls that have crumbled from blasts and fire and rebuilt, and the streets are swept clean.” The book also contains an informational timeline of World War II events and a short biography and photo of Winston and Rufus. I highly recommend this book and will definitely use it to spark student interests and build background knowledge about World War II.