Brownie the War Dog : Veterans’ Best Friend
Written by Kelly Nelson & Illustrated by Aaron Boyd
The true story of a family pet who served in WWII and went on to become a friend to wounded veterans.
During World War II, families all over the country volunteered their pet dogs to serve in the Dogs for Defense Program. This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the true story of a family and their beloved dog, Brownie, who served alongside the troops and returned home to become a companion to wounded vets.
At first Brownie’s boy, Oren, isn’t sure he wants to send his boisterous best friend to war. But with the help of his parents, Oren decides that Brownie could do a lot of good. Brownie serves faithfully on the frontlines until an injury sends him home from the Pacific islands. His family welcomes him back with open arms. But Brownie is not content sitting around at home—he needs a job. He begins to accompany Oren’s mother to the Veterans Home in King, Wisconsin, where she works. There, Brownie finds a way to serve his fellow veterans just as he served his fellow soldiers.
Lovingly illustrated by Aaron Boyd, this heartwarming story gives poignant new meaning to the phrase “man’s best friend” and will be a favorite for children and their grownups.
Find Brownie the War Dog at your favorite book retailer or in our online store.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelly Nelson has loved true animal stories ever since she was a little girl. Brownie the War Dog is her first book, inspired by a visit to the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King to seek care for her father, a veteran of the Korean War. Kelly lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Jason; children James and Brooke; dogs Ladybug, Mabel, and ZuZu; and cat, Lenny.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Aaron Boyd knew by age five that he wanted to be an artist. Inspired by artists inside the pages of children’s books at his local library, by age six he knew what he wanted to do with his art: make children’s books. After graduating from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Aaron practiced his craft in children’s magazines and board games before illustrating his first picture book in 1999. Since then, Aaron has illustrated dozens of books and begun writing-illustrating his own stories.
AN INTERVIEW WITH KELLY NELSON
Why do you think good animal stories are so compelling for both adults and children?
Good animal stories tap into the incredible bonds between animals and humans, a theme that never seems to grow old! I think we’re fascinated by animals and how their lives intersect with ours. Maybe we pay a different kind of attention because we interact with animals without the benefit of speech. Whatever it is, animal stories and behaviors have always captured my interest.
Where did you first learn about Brownie’s story, and what inspired you to share it through a children’s book?
I first learned of Brownie’s story in 2019 while on a tour of the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, which included the museum in the Marden Activities Center. My Korean War veteran father’s advanced dementia had become too difficult to manage without additional help, so my family was touring the home in hopes of finding a care facility for him. As an animal lover, history enthusiast, and sentimental person by nature, I immediately had the idea that young people might connect with the emotion of Oren and Brownie’s “boy and his dog” story and absorb some WWII history while doing so.
Tell us about your research process. What was the most interesting part of it? Where did it take you that was surprising?
My research process was all about connecting with Oren Kendley’s family, and the most profound connection was Oren’s niece Joan Yohr, who is now in her eighties. Joan had protected Brownie’s memorabilia for more than fifty years and had written a family history that included a chapter about Brownie’s life. She also donated a scrapbook of Brownie’s photos to the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, as well as Brownie’s military documents to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison. Having access to such a wealth of information made researching his story feel very authentic, as Joan knew Brownie when she was a young girl.
Something that did surprise me was that no matter how many avenues of research I followed, I was not able to find out the identity of Brownie’s handler in the military. Perhaps, with the book’s release, someone will step forward with that information, and I can put that to rest in my mind!
You worked in a library for many years. How did that experience help you write this book?
My time working at the Winneconne Public Library allowed me a bird’s-eye view of the themes and types of illustration that captivate children. I also worked at the circulation desk of the library and in children’s programming, which allowed me the opportunity to speak and engage with young people. All of these experiences helped guide my word choices and ensured that the comprehension level was appropriate for readers aged five to eleven.
Were there parts of Brownie’s story that didn’t make it into the book? Are there any you’d like to share?
Yes, the first being just how incredibly unique Brownie is, regarding where he is buried. He was buried with full military rites and laid to rest with the human veterans at the Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, making him the only known non-human veteran to be buried with human veterans in a veterans memorial cemetery.
The year 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of Brownie’s death and military burial. A commemorative life-sized bronze statue is currently being created, and once complete, it will be installed at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King.
Did researching and writing this book give you a new level of appreciation for those individuals who fight for their countries?
Without a doubt. Having a Korean War veteran father and a husband who served in the Wisconsin National Guard for eight years, I’ve always had genuine appreciation for those who fight for their countries.
However, when you learn of the personal and heart-wrenching sacrifices made not only by the soldiers, but also by the families on the home front during WWII, you can’t help but be in awe of the courage and patriotism exhibited during that era.
What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
My hope is that readers will feel as fortunate as I do for having learned about Brownie’s story. Oren and Brownie’s history is filled with great emotion, and all their bravery, sacrifice, and service to others deserves to be honored and remembered.
I also hope that readers, especially those who may not consider themselves to be fans of history, will understand that history is just the acknowledgement of the lives of those who came before us. We all would like to think that our individual life struggles and victories mattered to someone, and to take the time to learn of someone else’s journey is a wonderful way to demonstrate that.
AN INTERVIEW WITH AARON BOYD
What is your history with illustrating children’s books? How did your love of art, painting, and drawing prepare you for this project?
I have known since the age of five that I wanted to be an artist. And, since most of the art we see is in books, by the age of six I said, “I’m going to make children’s books!” In every book, one’s art is working with the words to create the story. And right away, the colors, the personality and journey of this dog, his history, and family began to form in my head and on the page.
What attracted you to Brownie the War Dog as a project that you wanted to be involved with?
My favorite subjects outside of art are dogs and history. For most of my life I have had a dog (or several). The bond and communication between a person and their dog I feel is one of the most devoted connections you can have. I am also a great believer that history, especially history that touches us, is one of the most important teaching tools we have in life. While many people of the World War II generation are passing on, we can still reach within our own families to find an uncle or aunt, a grandmother or grandfather, who served, worked assembly lines, or had a loved one who did. With a beautiful true story like this, we get to see and feel the sacrifices everyone faced at that time.
How did Kelly’s writing and Brownie’s story inspire your pieces?
This story was already beautiful, but to fully serve a beautiful story, the work needs to be honest. Kelly captured the beauty and emotions of this story while keeping it accurate and moving.
You did a lot of research to get historical details right. Can you share a few details in the illustrations that came from that research?
I did a lot indeed, and it was fun. Research is truly one of my favorite things with historical stories. One example was the train that Brownie departs on. I had a photo of the train engine that serviced the station Brownie would have left out of. From the number on the engine, I was able to track what lines used that engine, the schedules, and the trains that ran through the station, and I used that information to paint the scene of Brownie’s departure. All in all, I’d say research was nearly one-third of my work time.
The illustrations throughout the book are so beautiful. How did you choose the colors and compositions?
I have a lot of books on the period, and I collect clothes, toys, and books from that era. So, I already had a historical palette that was true to the period. The colors of homes inside and out are often very distinct to their decade. This is also true of army and civilian clothes. I even found an original image of the dog food advertising that was used. I just had to paint what was true.
Do you have a favorite illustration you created for this book? If so, what is it and why?
I have a few favorites, including some scenes showing the Kendley family because of the emotions expressed, but I think my favorite is the spread that shows Brownie side by side with a soldier in the jungles of the Pacific. It was the most time-consuming page and captured such an important moment.
It just so happened that my dog Gretel was the perfect model for Brownie. Her size, build, and facial structure were very similar, and all I needed to do was adjust her coloring. Gretel had been with me for 14 years, so she was happy to pose for me and allow me to adjust her facial features as needed. Also, around this time I noticed Gretel was slowing. As I said before, you get to know your pup and they know you. So, in many ways I knew this would be one of the last gifts we’d share. When I wrote my dedication to her, it was a way of saying thank you. Every time I look at these pages, I see Gretel lying still, allowing me to move her limbs and adjust her mouth—being that wonderful, generous dog that Brownie was.
How do you hope your work will influence readers of this book?
More than anything, I hope it will inspire people to reach out to the history we can touch. You can still visit the train station, talk to veterans, find these places on a map, and realize this is your history too.
