Ghost Army

The Troop of Artists Who Helped Win WWII

Illustrated by Becca Stadtlander
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Viking Books for Young Readers
24 per carton
On sale Jun 23, 2026 | 9780593691717
Age 4-8 years
Reading Level: Lexile 1080L
Sales rights: World

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A riveting picture book about a little-known piece of WWII history where a troop of artists put on a traveling show of deception and misled Hitler's forces again and again.

During World War II, a 1,100-man unit known as the Ghost Army was sent to Europe with an important mission: mislead Hitler’s forces as to the size and location of Allied troops so that those troops would have time to carry out urgent plans of their own.

This unit of artists, musicians, actors, architects, set designers, and engineers came together to construct “shadow soldiers” and put on a traveling show of deception for over twenty different campaigns throughout the war, using everything from fake radio transmissions to inflatable tanks to convince the enemy of their presence.
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Praise for Ghost Army:

★ “The watercolor illustrations emphasize the cost of war by contrasting the bright colors of the U.S. with the browns, grays, and blacks of bombed-out French villages. A fascinating and inspiring read.”—Booklist, starred review

About

A riveting picture book about a little-known piece of WWII history where a troop of artists put on a traveling show of deception and misled Hitler's forces again and again.

During World War II, a 1,100-man unit known as the Ghost Army was sent to Europe with an important mission: mislead Hitler’s forces as to the size and location of Allied troops so that those troops would have time to carry out urgent plans of their own.

This unit of artists, musicians, actors, architects, set designers, and engineers came together to construct “shadow soldiers” and put on a traveling show of deception for over twenty different campaigns throughout the war, using everything from fake radio transmissions to inflatable tanks to convince the enemy of their presence.

Photos

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Praise

Praise for Ghost Army:

★ “The watercolor illustrations emphasize the cost of war by contrasting the bright colors of the U.S. with the browns, grays, and blacks of bombed-out French villages. A fascinating and inspiring read.”—Booklist, starred review