Lumber Jills: The Unsung Heroines of World War II

by Alexandra Davis, Katie Hickey (Illustrator)

Overview

A true story of the female lumberjacks who helped save Great Britain's war effort.

In World War II, Great Britain needed lumber to make planes, ships, and even newspapers—but there weren't enough men to cut down the trees. Enter the fearless Lumber Jills! These young women may not have had much woodcutting experience, but they each had two hands willing to work and one stout heart, and they came together to do their part. Discover this lyrical story of home front heroism and female friendship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807547960
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	03/01/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD510L (what's this?)
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Alexandra Davis studied Children's Literature at New York University. Since then, Alex has developed her picture book writing while working in the legendary New York children's bookstore, Books of Wonder, on 5th Avenue selling high-fashion shoes and handbags, and at home raising a curious little boy. Lumber Jills is her first book.

Katie Hickey studied at Falmouth University. Since graduating, she has worked for various clients ranging from greeting card companies, magazines, and publishers. She lives with her family and dogs in the countryside just outside London.

Editorial Reviews

02/20/11

In her debut picture book, Davis celebrates the young women who served in Britain’s forest industry during WWII, with rhythmic text centered on numbers—“twenty-seven new girls signing up to serve,” “two hundred cheerful girls learn to cut the trees,” “six painful blisters heal”—and punctuated, sometimes incongruously, by the refrain “two hands willing to work and one stout heart.” Neither the meter, rhyme, nor numerical order seems to follow a clear pattern of progression, which lends the text a haphazard feel, and readers will have to wait until halfway through the book to learn the purpose for the women’s work, although an endnote fills in needed historical context. Illustrations by Hickey (Once upon a Magic Book) use washes of color and a loose line to capture the bustle of a women-filled lumber camp and make canny use of small details (the ridges of corduroy pants; the bumps of a knit sweater). Posters calling out the National Service, the Women’s Land Army, and “Women Work for Victory” evoke a bygone era. While the presentation is uneven, this offering introduces a historical chapter that’s rarely featured in picture books. Ages 3–5. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"Introduces a historical chapter that's rarely featured in picture books."—Publishers Weekly


"A rousing, upbeat introduction to the camaraderie and contributions of the 'unsung heroines of World War II' who cut 10 million trees for Britain." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

04/01/2019

PreS-Gr 2-Davis sets out to simply tell the story of 27 young women who served during World War II in the logging industry. Told in simple sentences with a counting cadence, the story reads like a soothing lullaby. Watercolor illustrations portray the forests as lush green areas where these women worked hard to do their jobs and lived far from their families and homes. The story does not read as exceptionalism, but clearly explains the duty these "Lumber Jills" agreed to take on, with "two hands willing to work and one stout heart." In addition to outlining the physical tasks these women completed, the illustrations portray the camaraderie between the women, playing card games, singing, and visiting the town dance hall on the weekends. This title is sweet and informative; it mentions how many trees were cut and sent to war, how the lumber from those trees helped the war effort, and gently addresses the sacrifices these young women made to leave their families to help where they were needed. A brief explanation about the British Women's Timber Corps is included at the end of the book, as well as an acknowledgment that women worked in lumberyards and logging facilities all over North America. VERDICT Beautiful illustrations and simplistic storytelling make this a good pick for very early readers, but the content and conversation starters also keep it appealing for first- and second-grade interests. Recommended for public and early elementary school libraries.-Mandy Simon, State Library of Ohio

School Library Journal

2019-01-15

In World War II-era Britain, young women on the homefront replace fighting men by volunteering for service in the Women's Timber Corps.

Each "with two hands willing to work and one stout heart," the Lumber Jills pull woolen socks up to their knees, bid their families farewell, settle into primitive bunkhouses, and learn how "to chop and saw and split" England and Scotland's trees and haul them from forest to mill. Overcoming blisters and bunkhouse boredom, the Lumber Jills cheerfully perform their work in sun and snow to provide timber crucial for the war effort. The cadenced, repetitive text appropriately echoes the rhythmic tempos and motions of chopping, cutting, and sawing. Sprightly, busy watercolor illustrations showcase sturdy, smiling, white Lumber Jills clad in gum boots, green berets, green sweaters, and green trousers while toting axes and logs and capture the forest venue as well as wartime atmosphere. Inclusion of background posters promoting women's participation in war work adds relevant period detail while a concluding historical note offers commentary on the vital role women played in the lumber industry during the war.

A rousing, upbeat introduction to the camaraderie and contributions of the "unsung heroines of World War II" who cut 10 million trees for Britain. (author's note) (Informational picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews