A Brave Soldier is written and illustrated by a man who grew up in northern France, surrounded by countryside that continues to give up the remnants and ghosts of the World War I battles fought upon its soil. The big reasons for war are not explored or rationalized in this book. Instead, the story challenges us to consider the very ordinary, human dimensions of war, beneath the noise of ideological rhetoric. Debon has patterned the book's inside cover papers with repeating arrangements of six different figures, each mounted on a stand, representing medics, nurses, German and British soldiers, guns poisedùthe sort that boys have played with for decades, emblems of the adventure and excitement of war gamesùand which immediately connects readers ùyoung and oldùto a commonplace and 'safe' image of war. Debon then proceeds to undermine our sense of comfort. He brings one of these figures "to life" on the title page, and this image becomes the slight, blankfaced everyman, Frank, whose story is told here. Frank's experiences give us more than just an interesting history lesson. Proceeds from the sale of this book go to the Canadian Landmines Association, reminding us of the ongoing tragic consequences of war around the world.