NICE DAY FOR A WAR: Adventures of a kiwi soldier in World War 1. By Chris Slane & Matt Elliott, 2011 | HarperCollins | Paperback | 96pp colour | ISBN13: 978186950901
Winner NZPost Children's Book of the Year Award 2012, Winner Children's Non-Fiction Award 2012, LIANZA Non Fiction Award – Elsie Locke Medal Winner 2012
Graphic novel or illustrated history book; this is one Kiwi soldier's experience of life in the Great War, from training at Trentham to the trenches of Flanders and the battle of Messines. Nice Day For A War is one part war comic and two parts history. Cartoonist Chris Slane and author Matt Elliott have collaborated to create a highly visual book based on the war diaries of Elliott's grandfather, Corporal Cyril Elliott. It features never-before-seen ephemera from Cyril's time as a soldier, as well as official histories, contemporary writings, cartoons and art created in the trenches by soldiers themselves. Postcards, photographs, letters home, news reports, statistics and other original documents enhance this factual account of a Dink's war service.
NZPost Book Awards
The true story of a World War l Kiwi soldier has won the country’s highest honour in children’s writing at the 2012 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards. Nice Day for a War, by author Matt Elliot and illustrated by Chris Slane was awarded the 2012 New Zealand Post Children’s Book of the Year at a ceremony held in Wellington tonight. The book is based on the original diaries of Elliot’s grandfather, Corporal Cyril Elliot.
The true story of a World War l Kiwi soldier has won the country’s highest honour in children’s writing at the 2012 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards. Nice Day for a War, by author Matt Elliot and illustrated by Chris Slane was awarded the 2012 New Zealand Post Children’s Book of the Year at a ceremony held in Wellington tonight. The book is based on the original diaries of Elliot’s grandfather, Corporal Cyril Elliot.
“Nice Day for a War is a stand-out book which offers young readers an honest glimpse into the lives of soldiers during World War I,” says Gillian Candler, the Awards Convenor of Judges. “The beautiful fluid line drawings and muted watercolour washes bring the diary to life. The interplay between the illustrations and text creates a powerful, emotionally engaging story for young readers. “The judging panel are delighted to award it the New Zealand Post Children’s Book of the Year for 2012,” Gillian Candler added.
“Nice Day for a War is a stand-out book which offers young readers an honest glimpse into the lives of soldiers during World War I,” says Gillian Candler, the Awards Convenor of Judges. “The beautiful fluid line drawings and muted watercolour washes bring the diary to life. The interplay between the illustrations and text creates a powerful, emotionally engaging story for young readers. “The judging panel are delighted to award it the New Zealand Post Children’s Book of the Year for 2012,” Gillian Candler added.
(http://www.booksellers.co.nz/awards/new-zealand-post-childrens-book-awards/2012-Awards)
Judges' comments:
A graphic novel plus history book that looks at World War I through the eyes of Cyril Elliot, the grandfather of Matt Elliott, one of the authors. The measure of a good illustrator is their ability to draw the human figure and Chris Slane is a master at this. There is no traced photographic reference here, just beautiful loose fluid line drawings and muted watercolour washes that make Cyril’s war diary come alive in a powerful, emotionally engaging narrative. The text is superbly supported by photographs, cartoons, Christmas cards, songs and newspaper clippings from the time. Take a look at page 42’s overview of the frontline. The eye can duck along the trenches, in and out of the dugouts and latrines, peek through loopholes and crawl under the wire into no man’s land and all this information can be grabbed in a couple of seconds. If this had been done in a solid page of text some of those reluctant boy readers would have skipped right over it. Our only suggestion is that a hardback cover would have been a great addition.
Non-fiction Category Winner
Nice Day for a War is superbly illustrated and presented. The amount of research and attention to detail is impressive and makes for an engrossing read. By taking Cyril’s perspective, and using graphic novel elements, the book engages readers. It opens a window on the everyday lives of soldiers and helps young readers understand the reality of war. Nice Day for a War avoids making judgments, trusting the reader to come to their own conclusions.
2012 New Zealand Post Book of the Year
This stand-out publication offers young readers a glimpse into the lives of soldiers during World War I and doesn’t gloss over the horror or the boredom of war. But neither does it set out to shock or disturb. Young readers will appreciate its honesty. We were impressed by the depth of research and by the quality of the illustrations. Nice Day for a War demonstrates the power of story in non-fiction. We congratulate the authors and publisher who have bravely combined graphic novel elements with those of a traditional history book to great effect.
