The ANZAC battle of Gallipoli is commemorated on April 25. The topic is presented for children by “Roly the Anzac donkey” (Penguin NZ) that shows how storytelling, from an animal’s perspective, can convey the horrors of war to young readers.

Professor Glyn Harper, who teaches war studies at Massey University, used his imagination and used a… donkey to try and convey the realities of the Gallipoli campaign in a way that children could relate to.

The children’s book is a retelling of the 2008 book, also by Harper, titled “The Donkey Man”.

Roly is designed by illustrator Jenny Cooper as a friendly animal.

The work is based on the real medical corps that used donkeys to carry supplies to injured and dead soldiers from the battlefields of World War I. The original book in 2008 was inspired by the life of New Zealand soldier Richard Henderson.