Available April 2, 2024 Audio Book 4 h 54 m
Narrated by Gail Shalan and Brian Holden
While I was first attracted by the cover of the dog and his girl, the history buff/major/teacher in me was psyched to see the topic. Not only WWII but the Pearl Harbor attack through the eyes of a young girl who had to grow up much too fast. Happy the dog helped her along the way, living up to the motto he'd adhered to as a Marine sentry dog to protect and always be faithful. He'd come to live with Jody and her family after being retired but Jody's family is a Marine family, too. Bottom line, to them, especially Jody, that means they're all Marines and bound to do their duty. She finds out just how difficult that can be as the story progresses, battleship row is bombed, and her family is split up. Inspired by a true story, I found it a slow start but an excellent intro to not just the historic event but warfare's impact on all caught up by it, then and now.
I had the audio version and, quite frankly, I think I'd recommend to teachers that they do their best to get hold of an audio version of this. The narrators do an excellent job of conveying the often wildly swinging emotions and Jody's fear and panic during the bombing is chilling. Kudos to the narrators, of which there are two. The male voice is used for male voices and Happy's thoughts and reactions, ranging from a trip to the vet to helping his humans to shelter and protecting them from harm.
Needless to say, dog lover that I am, I was relieved to see the author's note at the start that no harm would come to Happy. That was a relief. I honestly didn't pay attention but I believe all the chapter changes were announced in the Jody voice, her tone mirroring the mood as she shared the chapter title/focus. As noted, after a relatively slow start, the plot moved along nicely, including humor to break up some of the more intense, uncomfortable scenes. You'll love Happy, that's for sure, as he shines in his golden years and proves his worth over and over. Honestly, I felt like I knew Happy better than the humans, especially wishing we'd gotten a peek at Peggy's diary. Jody's thoughts are the narrative that moves the story along, including having to deal with new places and schools, including snotty classmates, and the sudden realization that even Japanese-Americans were suffering due to nothing they'd done. You'll also root for Jody's mom, who faces challenges Jody can only guess at.
Bottom line, an excellent read/listen and one history/social studies teachers in particular should have available. Thanks #NetGalley and #Zonderkids for sharing this peek listen with me. It fed both my dog and history loving soul. Dog lovers will enjoy the premise of Operation Happy while learning some of our more painful history in the process.
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