Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Remarkable account of dog and radar man in POW camp.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In the wake of World War II, young RAF radar man Frank Williams and Judy the English pointer returned home after years in Southeast Asia as prisoners of war. Soon Williams and many of his fellow survivors were telling anyone who would listen of Judy's remarkable loyalty, cleverness, and courage in keeping them alive through shipwrecks and starvation. Judy would eventually become a British "Hero Dog" and receive the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross. Author Robert Weintraub told Frank and Judy's story for an adult audience in the original NO BETTER FRIEND; now he offers a young-reader adaptation full of historic detail, danger, deprivation, death -- and a loyal friendship that survives it all.
Is It Any Good?
A new generation of readers learns the inspiring true story of a wily, heroic dog and her fellow POWs in WWII, especially her lifesaving adventures and lifelong bond with a young RAF radar man. Along the way, there's a wealth of historic background, with plenty of detail about the horrors of war (from death to dysentery) and the perils of jungle and sea -- all of which will probably delight history buffs and bore readers who just want a good dog story. Somewhat oddly, given the heavily historic narrative and first-person accounts, author Weintraub often treats speculation as fact where there's an unanswerable question or gap in the story, e.g.:
"With Frank, things were different from the start. It was a love story. Perhaps Judy sensed how caring and giving Frank's gesture was. A starving man was going hungry so that she could eat his rice. No wonder she fell head over heels for him."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories of heroic dogs who risk their own lives to help and save people. It's a popular subject for fiction -- but there are also many examples in real life. Which others have you heard about?
What do you know about World War II? Do you know about the experiences of people in your family during that time?
How do you feel when you hear words such as "Jap," which were common at the time of this story but are considered racist today?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : History
- Topics : Adventures , Animals , Friendship , History
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : May 3, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 18
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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