Rescued And Rescuer

You would think after spending more than one-third of my life in the company of dogs nothing they do would surprise me, but I am continually amazed by their capabilities.  They know to accomplish a particular task, working together is better.  They also have huge heroic hearts ready to act individually if the opportunity presents itself.  Humans should take lessons on their unwavering loyalty and unconditional love.

In their minds every single day is to be savored with excitement.  Each day is full of possibilities for learning.  Remembering Vera (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, October 3, 2017) is the newest offering from renowned author illustrator Patricia Polacco. No one, least of all the serviceman who rescued her, knew what kind of dog the pup would become.

"What will the Ol' Man say?" one of the guys piped up.
"Davie, if the Ol' Man catches her in here, he'll order her to be taken to the pound, and you know what will happen to her there!" another said.
"Well . . . I'm a-keepin' her!" Davie Bunch said definitely.  "We're just gonna have to hide her and keep her hidden from the commander!" he insisted. 

As good as his word Davie kept the dog naming her Vera.  Vera was one of his favorite aunts.  This dog never left the guys; wherever they went, she went too.  Davie taught her tricks.  She would go after and bring back whatever he threw.

On a particularly windy day, a call for help came to the Coast Guard company.  A ship was taking on water and sinking.  To make matters worse a squall was added to the already windy day.  As the men raced to help, you should know readers, Vera was on board.  And today, so was the commander, the Ol' Man.

The seas were so rough the Coast Guard cutter could not get near the other boat.  Each time they tried to shoot a line to the frantic people, it missed.  Then the Ol' Man noticed Vera and bellowed out his surprise.  Davie stepped up offering a solution.  Vest-wearing Vera could carry a line to the sinking boat.  It was a tense time for the men on that cutter watching Vera dive into the water.  Soon they lost sight of her in the wind and waves.  She made it!

On that day a canine hero was born, spending a great deal of time with the commander for the rest of her days.  It was the first of other rescues giving her star status.  After another spectacular deed nearly ending her life, Vera was given a medal for valor and made an honorary member of the United States Coast Guard.  It was at the close of her life, the immense love the men held for her was revealed.


In the hands of storytelling master Patricia Polacco two events in her life more than forty years ago, years apart, provide the impetus for this narrative.  Her gift for getting at the soul of a story forms the dialogue, the descriptions of the intense rescues, the bonds Vera forms with the men and their dedication to her.  Each sentence carefully builds our emotional attachment to the dog and her place in the United States Coast Guard.  Here is a sample passage.

Vera paddled with fierce determination toward the wrecked sailboat.  It was as if she knew that she was the last hope that those people had!  Everyone, including the Ol' Man, was cheering her on.  Time after time the waves would hide Vera in a trough.  She'd disappear only to surface again, paddling ever nearer the distressed boat.  Suddenly she vanished beneath the waves.  Everyone fell silent.  All that could be heard was the howling of the wind.


A single glance at a book illustrated by Patricia Polacco will tell you she is the artist.  The familiar loose lines, expressive facial features and the meticulous care given to detail are her signature attributes.  The emotion of a moment shines from her pages.

On the matching opened dust jacket and book case, the beaming face of the Ol' Man next to a happy Vera clearly defines their relationship and her eagerness to do her job.  To the left, on the back, an interior image from her first rescue is displayed.  You can see the shock and relief on the faces of those people in distress.  You can also see the intense pride on Vera's face at her achievement.

The red color used in the title text covers both the opening and closing endpapers.  On the title page Vera is in the center, sitting in front of the United States Coast Guard symbol.  Rendered in

two and six B pencils and acetone markers

the pictures throughout this title span two pages with the exception of two single page images and a series of smaller visuals when Vera is a playful puppy.  Depending on the point in the story Patricia will alter her perspective, bringing us close to the characters or giving us a more panoramic view.

One of my many favorite pictures is on a single page.  Vera has successful taken a line to the stranded sailors.  She is now back on board the US Coast Guard cutter.  The Ol' Man is holding her in both his hands so she can face him.  A towel dripping with water is wrapped around Vera.  The emotion on both their faces is love at first sight and sheer happiness at Vera's success.


Remembering Vera written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco will have readers laughing and crying at the heroics of this determined dog.  Her willingness to serve is apparent on every page.  Based upon true facts, when this book is finished and your listeners ask if this really happened, you can say yes.  For those who have a special place in their hearts for animals and dogs, this book will resonate with them.  It is a great read aloud title from a storyteller extraordinaire.  Patricia Polacco has notes at the beginning and ending of this book relative to the circumstances inspiring this story.

To learn more about Patricia Polacco and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images. There is an interesting article about Patricia Polacco at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library in the state of Virginia.  Please enjoy this video with Patricia talking about this book.

For The Love Of A Dog #1

Sixteen years ago, nearly to the day, my husband and his youngest brother died in an automobile accident.  Month after month I barely existed.  On August 21, 2000 a small chocolate Labrador female puppy was born; the runt of the litter.  For us it was love at first sight.  I named her Xena after the television warrior princess realizing strength was essential for her survival.   She was so small it required feeding her three times a day.  I was allowed to have her at school in a crate in my office. (I let her out quite a bit thanks to my principal, Dick Swenor.) During story times she would sit on my lap as I read to the students.  She saved me; filling my life with joy.

Different breeds of dogs are known for particular traits.  One thing they have in common is their ability to know when they are needed. A dog guy to the core and author Michael J. Rosen (The Hound Dog's Haiku and Other Poems for Dog Lovers) has penned a remarkable story about a cattle dog who accomplished a feat out of the ordinary.  The Tale of Rescue (Candlewick, October 13, 2015) is a tribute to this dog, to all dogs, who do as they have always done.  They save us one heart at a time.

This is a tale about a cattle dog.  She had a name, but only one person knew it and usually he called her with herding words like cast and wait and by and that'll do.  Mostly he called her with whistles.

After reading about the life of the cattle dog and her farmer in the first few pages, we are introduced to a family of three.  This mother, father and their ten-year-old son are staying in a cabin which is part of a local lodge in this region of Ohio near the Appalachian Mountains.  Living in Florida they wanted to give their son a winter with snow.  Each day of their stay they experienced the beauty the season has to offer; cross-country skiing, hiking through a foot of snow, building snowmen, sledding and snowball fights.  On their last day a final morning walk before breakfast to the lodge quickly turned into all the makings for a tragic end.

As the weather is apt to do, a sunny day clouded over and within no time at all they found themselves in a whiteout.  Even though they were close to their destination, nothing was visible to them.  Retracing their steps back to their cabin was fruitless as the flakes were falling at a rapid rate filling in their tracks.  The drifts of heavy wet snow were soon at the height of the boy's waist.  Fatigue, the cold and lack of nourishment weighted their progress.  The helplessness of not being able to get your bearings in this kind of weather added to their growing panic.

By the time, hours later, when the snow subsided they were surrounded by four feet of it.  They trampled down a small circular den of sorts and huddled together.  Shouting would not help in the wild and wicked wind but the father every so often managed to thaw his lips enough to send out a piercing whistle.  This storm was not finished.  Freezing rain descended leaving a thick crust.

Back at the farm the wintry fury had sent the cattle dog working her hardest to herd the forty cows back to safety.  Now at rest her ears perked.  Had that been a whistle?  This was a new kind but it called to her.  It was a treacherous journey to find the source of the whistle.  Initially leery the parents soon followed their son's lead warming the frozen canine with their stiff chilly hands.  All too soon she left them.

She did awaken the farmer but all her attempts to make him understand failed.  It was now dark. The time for the trio with the dropping temperatures was shortening.  With the spirit of her kind and the work she had been trained to do, this cattle dog with a name only known by one got busy.  Eight years later this tale continued out of deep gratitude and affection...and

Yet stories do not always have the ending we imagine they will.  


Michael J. Rosen writes with the sure knowledge of dogs, setting and family.  His sensory descriptions of each are eloquent and brimming with emotion.  You are inside the story with every single page turn. Here are several sample passages.

The paired hearts of deer tracks stamped in the snow, stalactites of icicles along their cabin's timber eaves, snow angels, frost-crazed windowpanes---their snapshots captured every wintery thing they'd never encountered in Florida.  ... Out the cabin's windows the ground glistened like finely grated diamonds---the sand at the beach near their home did the same thing---when the sun pried a hole in the cloud cover. 

The family plodded ahead, single file:  The father shoved and tromped the snow to make the passage easier for his wife; she did the same for their son.  The wind's blasts slapped their faces; every tear and bead of sweat burned their skin.  They had to squint so that the snowflakes would melt on their lashes instead of stab at their eyes. 

Raced would have been the right word if the field were anything but four feet of compacted snow capped with ice.  A heeler's legs, remember, are twelve inches long; the snow was four times that...in its lowest spots.  Even the dog's nose reached no higher than thirty inches when she craned to sniff. This time, racing meant smacking hard into the crusted snow and slipping---one foot punching through the shell of ice, stumbling, and scrambling to get both feet repositioned.  

The boy rested his cheek on the dog's chilled and soaked coat.  When a tear spilled across his cheek, its warmth surprised him---the furnace inside him could still heat the water in his eyes.  A second later, it cooled on the dog's cold fur.  But as he held his face against her silver-black coat, her body's heat rose and eased the frost's rawness on that patch of his skin.  


The watercolor painting rendered by Stan Fellows spanning the front and back of the dust jacket is a lovely look and introduction to those interspersed throughout this title. Twenty-seven more images enhance the story beginning with the double-page picture of the farm on the title page as the cattle dog chases a cow home to the barn.  Most of the illustrations are on single pages but the one two-page wordless illustration clearly depicts the family's plight in the whiteout.

His use of light and shading are exquisite; not an easy task in snowy scenes.  His brush strokes capture the essence of every scene captivating the reader with the intensity of the moment.  With great skill he brings us into the image with his use of perspective.

One of my favorite illustrations is the one of the cattle dog opposite the first chapter page.  She is seated on a hill with the pastures, few clouds and rays of sunlight in the background.  Her gaze is shifted to the right of the page, neck turned as if listening.  Ears alert, tongue hanging out, she looks ready to spring into action.

The Tale of Rescue written by Michael J. Rosen with illustrations by Stan Fellows is a heart-pounding story of survival and a heartwarming story of a dog doing the work they love. You can't stop reading it once you begin.  It would make for an outstanding read aloud.  It has my highest recommendation.

To learn more about Michael J. Rosen and Stan Fellows and their work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  A portion of the two-page picture I referenced earlier can be viewed at the publisher's website.  Enjoy the book trailer.




Yesterday afternoon my sweet Xena passed away.  To honor her I will be writing fifteen blog posts about fifteen dog books recently published.  For those of you interested here is an Animoto in tribute to her.


To further highlight her life I am giving away a copy of Michael J. Rosen's two books mentioned here.

They Made The News

Living on or near water you know spring brings the inevitable sight of a string of ducklings following their mother.  Sometimes when slowly moving in a canoe, kayak or boat down a river or along a lakeshore, you might find yourself the recipient of a quacking escort.  It's a given traffic will be stopped on Main Street as a feathered family waddles across from one side to the other.

With as much care as a parent gives, guarding the newly hatched from predators and hazards in the wild, their instincts can't always prepare them for possible man-made dangers.  In the summer of 2000 five ducklings found themselves in serious trouble.  Author Eva Moore with pictures by Nancy Carpenter in Lucky Ducklings (Orchard Books) brings to readers a fictionalized retelling of this true story.


The Duck family
lived in a pretty pond in a
green, green park, in a sunlit
little town at the end of a
long, long island.

Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin and Little Joe with a Whack-a-whack!" are off for a walk with Mama Duck.  From their park home they make their way into town.  Once there they find some snacks on the ground from the overflowing trash can.

Satisfied Mama Duck is on the move once again.  She makes her way easily over the grate next to the curb.  Unbeknownst to her with a plop, splish-splash, times five her brood vanishes.

Within seconds the alarm has been sounded by a watching woman and the frantic quacks for help from the babies.  Mama Duck races back, chasing onlookers away.  Firemen try to pry up the grate with no success.

Remember though, this story is titled the Lucky Ducklings.  A man with a truck has a plan.  A climb, a bucket and one frustrated but happy Mama Duck add up to another walk, a walk with Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin and Little Joe all in a row.  Off they go.


With the right combination of words, gathered together in several sentences or spread across two or more pages as a single thought, Eva Moore has created a cadence of sorts for the narrative; almost like the leisurely walk of a mother with her baby ducks.  Repetition of descriptive words and key phrases provide a welcome invitation to join in the day's adventure.  Supplying an interpretation of the Whack! and Quack! of all the ducks as dialogue further engages her intended audience.  The finishing touch is the names of the ducklings, rhyming except for Little Joe, named after one of his rescuers in real life.


The charming, warmth of this true rescue story is immediately apparent when looking at the matching jacket and cover; the front leading into the trouble, the back closing with calming normalcy.  Using charcoal with digital media illustrator, Nancy Carpenter, chooses to begin telling the story prior to the first written words.  On the title page we see Mama Duck resting with her ducklings clustered around among the pond grasses.  The verso and dedication pages visualize the peaceful morning, slight ripples on the water as she wades into the pond, her wee ones beginning to follow.

For several of the illustrations Carpenter elects to use only hues of blues and greens with the charcoal drawings.  Even though the remaining illustrations are in full color, there is a soft naturalness to the color palette and a texture almost as if chalk was used.  Her depiction of the ducks is so realistic you would hardly be surprised to hear a quack.  Carpenter's shift in picture size, two page, single page or a series of columns coupled with the change in perspective, a view of the grate as if you are one of the trapped ducklings, adds to the overall feeling of pure satisfaction you get from reading this title.


Although years in the making Lucky Ducklings written by Eva Moore with pictures by Nancy Carpenter was well worth the wait.  Whether at bedtime, storytime or any time this is treat.  Get ready for  the sounds of "read it again".

Be sure to follow the link embedded in Eva Moore's name to an article in The East Hampton Star written about this book titled All Her Ducks in a Row.   Publishers Weekly did a Q & A with Nancy Carpenter about this title and her work which is linked to her name.  I will be adding this book to my 2014 Mock Caldecott list.