Review by Booklist Review
Stories of animals that save human lives have perennial appeal to kids, and in this volume, veteran science writer Markle offers a particularly dramatic compendium of rescue tales. She begins with an account of Roselle, a guide dog that saved her blind owner, Mike, on 9/11 by leading him down 77 flights of stairs in the World Trade Center before the building collapsed. Later chapters describe more incredible acts of animal heroism: a gorilla that cradles and protects a three-year-old boy after he falls into her zoo enclosure; dolphins that protect a group of swimmers from a shark attack; a cat that saves its family from carbon-monoxide poisoning. Each chapter includes a factual page about the featured animal as well as an inspiring afterward section that describes continued human response to the particular animal's heroism. Not all of the color photos are sharply reproduced, but they provide views of crises will rivet viewers. A glossary, sources, and suggestions for further reading conclude this solid, high-interest choice for browsing or basic research.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Nine stories, based on interviews with the grateful survivors, describe how brave animals rescued people in catastrophic circumstances. Each edgy retelling reveals details that only the participants could know, including sounds, smells, sights, and the knowledge that at any moment they could die, deepening the tension. Mixed in are Markle's broad and perfectly attuned insights about animal behavior. The text describes the loyalty of a small pooch watching over his elderly owner, licking his face to keep him awake during a night spent in Katrina's flood waters. It also demonstrates the mothering instincts of a western lowland gorilla that tenderly protected a toddler who had fallen into a zoo enclosure. Background information includes a page about the Mountain Locator Unit used in one rescue and descriptions of carbon dioxide poisoning and hypothermia. Many of the photographs were taken from photo archives and fluctuate from fuzzy to clear, yet as such bring even more reality into the mix. All of the tales end with satisfying afterwords that summarize the outcomes.-Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
