Non-fiction Picture Book Review
The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute
to Veterans
By Barbara Elizabeth Walsh, Paintings by Layne
Johnson
This is a very different kind of non-fiction picture
book that will be appreciated by any parent who is trying to instill in their
children a respect for the troops. The story is about Moina
Belle Michael, a schoolteacher from Georgia, who wanted to do something for the
soldiers fighting in World War I. Moina
worked to establish the red poppy as the symbol to honor and remember soldiers.
And she devoted the rest of her life to making sure the symbol would last
forever. Thanks to her hard work, that symbol remains strong today. Author
Barbara Elizabeth Walsh and artist Layne Johnson worked with experts, primary
documents, and Moina’s great-nieces to better understand Moina’s determination
to honor the war veterans.
The prologue begins with a biography of Moina. A dark blue painting of the night-time
bombing of an American ship by the German U-boats in March 1917 is followed by
a bright green painting of Moira on the European countryside. Next the countryside is laid waste, showing
planes bombing and devastating the land, with troops in the trenches. In April 1917 Moira is shown receiving the
news of war at the University of Georgia.
Another night scene shows Moira at the campus, waiting for news and
wondering what she could do. She is
shown leading women in their work for the Red Cross, rolling bandages, visiting
the troops at the nearby camps, and seeing them off on the train. She goes to Columbia University to train for
the YMCA; there she serves the troops at Hamilton Hall. She finds that by brightening the dark room
with flowers, the troops are happy to come spend time there. She is inspired by the brightly colored
illustration of a battleground covered with unmarked crosses and red poppies,
accompanying a poem called “We Shall Not Sleep” by Lieutenant Colonel John
McCrae. It ends with the line, “We shall
not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields”. She starts to give the men poppies and begins
a mission to have everyone wear poppies in honor of the troops. The Epilogue explains how the poppy lives on
as a way to thank those who fought to give us freedom. The paintings are realistic and full of
emotion. The book was well-researched,
and provides a Bibliography for further reading.
A portion of the book’s
proceeds will support the National Military Family Association’s Operation
Purple®, which benefits children of the U.S. military.
For ordering information see http://www.boydsmillspress.com/books/calkins-creek/poppy-lady
Ages: 7-11
Pages: 40
List Price: $16.95
Cover: Hardcover
Published: 9/1/2012
ISBN-13:
978-1-59078-754-0
