Spies in the Sky by Beverley McWilliams

When Adelaide-based children’s author Beverley McWilliams and I first met, we discovered that we were both writing WWII stories featuring war pigeons – Bev’s set in Europe and mine in Australia. We couldn’t believe it – TWO people who were fascinated by pigeons!! We soon shared our love for animals and birds, our interest in presenting lesser-known aspects of WWII, and our connection to nature. And we quickly became friends.

Beverley’s debut picture book Born to Fly published by MidnightSun Publishing was a CBCA notable book. She has published two middle-grade historical novels with Pantera Press: The Reindeer and the Submarine (2022) and Spies in the Sky (2023). Her next picture book, Willow’s Gumboots, is coming out next week with MidnightSun Publishing.

While writing my own pigeon WWII story – On Gallant Wings – I stayed away from reading Spies in the Sky, because I didn’t want to be influenced by Beverley’s story. So, it sat on my bookshelves with its stunning cover, tempting me! I finally dived into this wonderful book last week. Spies in the Sky has recently been longlisted for the Book Links Award for Historical Fiction, shortlisted for the Readings Children’s Prize, and longlisted in the ARA Historical Prize, and I can see why it’s getting these accolades!

Sometimes we must do things we don’t want to, even if they frighten us.

Royal Blue is a royal racing pigeon from a long line of champions. Every morning he wakes in his comfortable loft at Sandringham House, eats the very best seeds and spends the day training with his best friend to be the fastest and strongest pigeon in Britain.

But there’s a war going on, and things are changing. Then one day the King himself comes to the loft and chooses Blue for a very special assignment.

As Blue goes on missions, helping with rescues, carrying secret messages and facing dangers he never could have imagined, one thing will become clear: never underestimate a pigeon.

Told from the perspective of Royal Blue, the story begins in the pigeon lofts of King George in April 1940, at Sandringham House. Blue is a beautiful and clever pigeon, who has worked out how to escape the loft. Each morning, he races with his friend Khan. His life has a pattern and a comfort to it – he knows he is the best pigeon and is focused on winning. Until one morning, he is chosen by King George himself to join the ‘NPS’. Unsure what this means, Blue wonders if it’s some kind of special national race. But when he is taken away from everything he knows and sent in a plane to a very different loft, his life is forever changed.

Weaving in facts from the real pigeons who went to war for England with the NPS, Beverley has featured numerous aspects of history that are incredibly well-researched. The span of the story is vast and yet the small details of the world around Blue, bring a richness and depth. The descriptions of the environment are beautiful and you get a sensory experience of nature, still flourishing amidst the chaos of war. Seeing things through Blue’s eyes adds a naivety, which allows the reader to discover the realities of war along with him and his friends.

This book presents facts about the National Pigeon Service in England and the part these pigeons played in some critical moments of WWII, along with other aspects of history, but at the heart of it are themes of friendship, courage and stepping out of your comfort zone. Blue arrives at the NPS as a pigeon who is quite self-centred, who thinks only of himself and winning races. He has led a comfortable, sheltered life. By the end of his experiences as a war pigeon, he will be forever changed, and will make friends that will teach him that winning isn’t everything.

At the end of the book, Beverly has included photos of the real pigeons who inspired the story, with information about them, a glossary of terms, and the Dickin Medal – instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in World War II. This is useful for teachers wanting to use the book in classrooms and gives a great stepping off point for further research and discussion. There are black and white illustrations scattered throughout that add to the magic of the story. Whilst war is an often difficult subject for children’s books, Beverley has done a great job of making this age-appropriate and accessible.

I highly recommend this beautiful book and wish Beverley all the luck with the upcoming awards announcements!

Helen

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