Nicky was an extraordinary dog who endured many calamities. First, he was cooped up in a box sealed with duct tape but managed to escape. Then he fell in a deep hole and stayed there for three days until he was found; came within a hair of being run over by a big truck; was attacked by two big dogs and required numerous stitches and was run over by a riding mower twice. Despite all this, he lived to a relatively old age of thirteen, which is over ninety-one years old in human years.

The author's intention is to tell this story to increase the hope and faith of everyone who reads it. It is a true story of God's manifest presence and His working in the miraculous in and during this child's life. The life of faith of one so young can only be the working of God's Holy Spirit. The faith became a great source of blessing to Nicky, his family and to the many friends of this outgoing child.

Caldecott Honoree and Sibert Medalist Peter Sís honors a man who saved hundreds of children from the Nazis. In 1938, twenty-nine-year-old Nicholas Winton saved the lives of almost 700 children trapped in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia—a story he never told and that remained unknown until an unforgettable TV appearance in the 1980s reunited him with some of the children he saved. Czech-American artist, MacArthur Fellow, and Andersen Award winner Peter Sís dramatizes Winton’s story in this distinctive and deeply personal picture book. He intertwines Nicky’s efforts with the story of one of the children he saved—a young girl named Vera, whose family enlisted Nicky’s aid when the Germans occupied their country. As the war passes and Vera grows up, she must find balance in her dual identities—one her birthright, the other her choice. Nicky & Vera is a masterful tribute to a humble man’s courageous efforts to protect Europe’s most vulnerable, and a timely portrayal of the hopes and fears of those forced to leave their homes and create new lives.

A Finalist for the 2022 Jane Addams Children's Book Award An NPR Best Book of 2021 A New York Times Best Children's Book of 2021 A Washington Post Best Book of 2021 A Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2021 A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of 2021 In December 1938, a young Englishman canceled a ski vacation and went instead to Prague to help the hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Nazis who were crowded into the city. Setting up a makeshift headquarters in his hotel room, Nicholas Winton took names and photographs from parents desperate to get their children out of danger. He raised money, found foster families in England, arranged travel and visas, and, when necessary, bribed officials and forged documents. In the frantic spring and summer of 1939, as the Nazi shadow fell over Europe, he organized the transportation of almost 700 children to safety. Then, when the war began and no more children could be rescued, he put away his records and told no one. It was only fifty years later that a chance discovery and a famous television appearance brought Winton’s actions to light. Peter Sís weaves Winton’s experiences and the story of one of the children he saved, Vera Gissing. Nicky & Vera is a tale of decency, action, and courage told in luminous, poetic images by an internationally renowned artist.

There are around 6000 people in the world today who owe their lives to Nicholas Winton. They are the descendants of a group of refugee children rescued by him from the Nazi threat in 1939. Some of them know of his existence and the part he played in their history, many others do not. It was a short event in his life but a critical one for those whose lives were saved. For him that intervention was over in a flash and other adventures supplanted it. Only much later did this episode re-emerge in his life and ever since has brought him visitors from all over the world anxious to learn his story. This book lays out that story in detail, exploring the motivation and early experiences that led to him acting to save young lives, while others looked the other way. His motto "If something is not impossible, then there must be a way to do it" led him to follow his own convictions and undertake an operation others had dismissed as unnecessary or too difficult. His life thereafter was full of exploits stimulated by similar motivation which, though not so consequential, remain testimony to his character. But what was his motivation? How had his life and background led to him being ready, willing and able to conduct a successful rescue operation of 669 children from Czechoslovakia at the age of 29? His daughter has painstakingly sifted through her father's papers and talked to family and friends to construct a detailed account of his whole life. It explores the influences on his character as well as the historical events he was caught up in. Taken from his historical letters and writings, Winton's own words are introduced to convey the atmosphere of many of his diverse experiences.

Thirty years after creating one of the most memorable moments in sporting history, Indigenous AFL legend Nicky Winmar tells his story in a moving and compelling memoir. FROM BUSH KID TO AFL LEGEND Sport is made up of moments that thrill us at the time and quickly disappear. Very few endure for decades. Even fewer transcend sport and speak to an entire nation. April 17, 2023, marked the 30th anniversary of St Kilda legend Nicky Winmar's proud and defining stand against racism—one of those moments that hasn't diminished over time and regrettably is just as relevant today. It is a stand that has become iconic, and so has Winmar, not just for his courage as he declared to a hostile, jeering crowd, 'I'm black and I'm proud to be black,' but also because he was one of the game's most talented and celebrated players. Born to Noongar parents in Western Australia's Wheatbelt, 200 kilometres from Perth, Neil Elvis 'Nicky' Winmar quickly displayed an ability to overcome adversity. He would need it. He had a hard upbringing but loved to play footy every day with his younger brother amid the livestock on the farm where their father worked as a shearer. The skinny teenager soon began playing football among hardened men for the local club and was signed to a senior team as a promising fifteen-year-old. Winmar would go on to become one of the most decorated players in AFL history. Recently inducted into the illustrious AFL Hall of Fame, a member of both the Indigenous Team of the Century and the St Kilda Team of the Century, Nicky was the first Indigenous footballer to play 200 games. This long-awaited autobiography tells the story of Winmar's brilliant career in colourful detail, as well as giving moving insight into his life. Amid the pain, the turbulence and the triumph, his heart and abiding sense of humour shine through. 'His story is one that cannot be missed.' Tony Armstrong 'One of the truly great players . . . an amazing talent . . . If actions speak louder than words then Nicky Winmar's actions were better than anyone's.' Tony 'Plugger' Lockett 'Once we watched him in wonder. And now it's time to listen and learn.' Tim Winton 'A compelling account from the fleet-footed footballer who ran like the wind down the wing and stood strong against the rip tide of racism . . . A great read.' Peter Lalor 'Honest, moving, painful, funny . . . holds nothing back.' Gideon Haigh

Contains simple words, rebus pictures, and flash cards that make learning to read easy and fun.