Tales of famous animals

This book chronicles famous animals across all sizes, species, geographic regions, and time periods, from the battlefields of ancient Rome to New York City on September 11. Some are household names Seabiscuit, Jumbo, Punxsutawney Phil while others are more obscure, like Old Abe, the pet eagle kept by Civil War soldiers, or Balto, the sled dog that delivered life-saving diphtheria medicine to the children of Nome, Alaska, in the winter of 1925. To further drive home the dual points that humans and animals forge unbreakable bonds and that humans are often dependent on their animal allies, the Roops include both humorous and poignant fables, too. Each tale is told in high-interest narrative format, along with Pullen's old-fashioned oil-painting illustrations. Primary source materials drawn from museums and historical societies are used in many of the stories, and each is carefully annotated in the bibliography. Teachers will find plenty of cross-curricular use for this in almost any upper-elementary or middle-school classroom.--Anderson, Erin Copyright 2010 Booklist

Gr 3-5-Seventeen animals inhabit the colorful pages of this book. Ranging from Alexander the Great's mighty horse, Bucephalus; to Pelorus Jack, a Risso's dolphin long loved in New Zealand; to a veritable menagerie in Teddy Roosevelt's White House, these animals both amuse and inspire. The accessible stories are arranged chronologically and are graced with quotes and colorful, slightly caricaturistic illustrations. Reading about Balto leading the dog team through bitter blizzards to take diphtheria serum from Anchorage to Nome, Seabiscuit pounding down the racetrack to become champion of champions, and the origin of "Teddy's Bear" puts history in a new light and may promote further investigation. Bibliographical sources are given for all the featured creatures except Jumbo the Elephant. (One update: Lonesome George, last known Galapagos Pinta Island tortoise, is no longer looking for love in any and all places. He died in June 2012, after this book had gone to press.) The subject matter is enticing, the text simple in its construction. Appealing fare in a classroom collection, or as a highly browsable item.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.