Bandoola (Beverley McWilliams, illus Kate Jones, UWA Publishing)

Bandoola by Beverley McWilliams (Spies in the Sky) follows the life of a Burmese logging elephant, blending fictional storytelling with events inspired by history. Set predominantly in the first half of the 20th century, the novel opens in 1897, before tracing key moments in Bandoola’s life and culminating in World War II.

Narrated from Bandoola’s perspective, the book begins with his early years in the forests of Burma, where his close relationships with his mother and his handler, Po Toke, form the emotional core. Early moments, including a tiger attack, establish both the dangers of the environment and the protective bonds around him, while the jungle and logging camp provide insight into the human–animal dynamics of the time.

As Bandoola grows, his desire for freedom sits in tension with the expectations placed on him as a working elephant, a conflict that deepens as the story progresses. With the Japanese invasion of Burma, the narrative shifts into a more urgent wartime narrative.

Bandoola offers an approachable introduction to this historical context, anchored by an engaging narrator. With its clear, accessible prose and straightforward exploration of courage, loyalty and growth, the novel is well suited to readers aged 8 to 12. For readers of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, Favel Parrett’s Wandi and Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Karys McEwen is a librarian, author and the education advisor for the Melbourne Writers Festival. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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