Local author aims to tell Second World War story to young readers

By Sam Leishman - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on February 28, 2025.

A local mother-daughter duo is hoping to keep the spirit of the special relationship between Canada and the Netherlands alive in the minds of children.
Julia Sinke’s third children’s book is currently available for pre-order ahead of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands coming up this spring. Canada and the Netherlands: A World War II Story pays tribute to the Canadian soldiers who played a major role in the country’s efforts to fight off German occupation.
Sinke says she was inspired by the countless war stories she’s heard from her grandparents over the years, who were just children themselves when they were living in Holland throughout the 1940s. Her parents were also born overseas, while Sinke herself was born here in Canada.
“It’s such a great connection to be Canadian with the Dutch heritage because I wouldn’t be here if Canada hadn’t come and brought food and brought freedom at that point in my grandparents’ lives,” Sinke told the Herald. “To me, the connection on both sides is really beautiful.”
Sinke has been working as an educational assistant in elementary school classrooms in the Lethbridge area for the last two decades. She started gathering information for her writing a little over a year ago when she noticed a lack of age-appropriate material covering such topics for young readers.
She hopes her book will be a vital resource for parents, teachers and librarians to approach a sensitive subject that young minds can relate to, without any references to violence.
“They’re just so curious and they’re so open and they’re about justice. We do celebrate and we do talk about it, even in the younger grades. We talk about our veterans, and we talk about our country, and we talk about Remembrance Day. [This book is] something special for them to highlight bravery instead of the really hard, deep questions.”
Each page of Sinke’s self published book tells the story of Canada and the Netherlands in both English and Dutch, utilizing her husband’s cousin’s expertise for the proper Dutch translation. Sinke’s 20-year old daughter, Abigayle Rozendaal, created the eye-catching illustrations.
Inside the book, readers will find true accounts of how Canadian soldiers put their lives on the line to care for the injured and starving overseas, how members of the Royal House of the Netherlands fled to Canada for protection, the birth of Princess Margriet Francisca in Ottawa in 1943 and the annual gift of tulip bulbs that Holland still sends to Canada to this day to express the nation’s undying gratitude.
“I want the story to be kept alive for kids in both countries, and I want this special relationship to continue,” Sinke says.
If the books arrive on time from the printer in Toronto, Sinke will be releasing 500 copies of Canada and the Netherlands: A World War II Story next week. This new book and her two previous releases, Exploring Canada with our Senses and Anna’s Big Adventure: A 1950s Canada Immigration Story, are available for purchase at booksbyjuliasinke.com.
Sinke adds that her daughter will be joining her for a trip to the Netherlands in May to attend a Memorial Day service at the Canadian war cemetery near the village of Holten. Only 5000 tickets were made available. Sinke says she was able to secure tickets after telling officials about this project, and she hopes to share the book with any veterans that might be making the trip for the service themselves.

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