Book Review: Alaska's Dog Heroes by Shelley Gill

Pages: 32

Genre: Children's Book

Pub. Date: February 25, 2014

Source: Publisher for review

Goodreads says, "In Alaska, dogs really are a person’s best friend. These true canine stories from the last frontier describe remarkable acts of intelligence, stamina, loyalty, and heroism by Balto, Togo, Tekla, Stickeen, and more of Alaska’s famous dogs. From traversing mountains in winter with deliveries of life- saving medicine to fighting off bears and finding lost children, each beautifully illustrated and exciting story comes from the pages of Alaska’s history."

Alaska's Dog Heroes: True Stories of Remarkable Canines by Shelley Gill is a children's book that dog lovers will absolutely adore.  There are nineteen dogs depicted in this book complete with a short write-up and beautiful illustration for each dog.  Each write-up is captivating to a dog lover, such as the dog who delivers medicine or another dog who saved his family by leading a rescue team to his home which was on fire.  There is even a police dog that saved a young boy.  All of the stories that Gill shares are heroic in their own right and truly illustrate the loyalty and bravery of man's best friend.  

Also, Gill isn't just a children's author, she was one of the first women to race in and complete the Iditarod Sled dog race, so that should definitely be noted.

Teachers will also enjoy Alaska's Dog Heroes, especially if they are teaching a unit on Alaska or heroic animals.  At the book's end, there's some ideas for group discussion,  group activities, as well as independent activities.  Plus, the activities and questions are aligned to the Common Core state Standards for grades two and three, which is also helpful for a teacher to know.

Even though my little guy is still too young to appreciate Alaska's Dog Heroes fully, he absolutely loves the illustrations.  Robin James, the illustrator, did a fantastic job capturing the beauty of these animals.  My son is a huge dog fan, so I will be holding onto this book for him to read in the years that come and I'm sure he will enjoy it.