War Dog

War Dog – The True Story of Judy, hero of WW2

The true story of one dog’s incredible bravery in WWII. Judy is a dog who lives on a ship called HMS Grasshopper. Set in the Second World War in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. After the fall of Singapore Judy and her crew become prisoners of war.

Tom Palmer (Author)
Carolina Rabei (Illustrator)

Published by Scholastic, 11 September 2025
ISBN 0702325945

Pre-order a signed and dedicated copy of War Dog, personalised to order from my local independent children’s bookshop “The Thoughtful Spot” here .

As the ship’s mascot, Judy has many duties. She catches rats, watches out for soldiers who may fall overboard, and she listens out for danger. Judy loves her crew, and they love her.

She knows that she brings comfort to the men, making her job very important during these hard times. But when her soldiers are taken prisoner and she is separated from her beloved Frank, she must find the strength to keep going.

She is their only hope.

This beautiful picture book is a testament to the love and loyalty of dogs and the importance of animal companions.

Based on a true story, my debut picture book is a tribute to a remarkable hero of WWII – Judy the dog
Judy is magnificently brought to life with Carolina Rabei’s mesmerising illustrations
Learn more about the role of animals who have been involved in conflict with a non-fiction spread at the back of the book

Judy was awarded the Dickin medal, “For magnificent courage and endurance in Japanese prison camps, which helped to maintain morale among her fellow prisoners, and also for saving many lives through her intelligence and watchfulness.”

Literacy Resources

Cover Prediction Activity
Lots of question prompts to guess, from who do you think would enjoy reading this book to how would you feel if you were the dog?

No answer is wrong!

Download here

Judy Colouring
This is Judy. Colour her brown patches and spots and mark the 80^th Anniversary of VJ Day in 2025 with a special border or background.

Download here

Dickin Medal Activity
Learn about Judy’s Dickin medal and follow the instructions to colour it in and then design your own medal for a brave animal or person of your choice.

Download here

Follow Judy’s Journey from China to East Africa

Buy the Book

Pre-order Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available personalised to order from my local independent children’s bookshop “The Thoughtful Spot” here.

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