  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 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 - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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