Review by Booklist Review
Dogs are fascinating enough, but working dogs pique kids' interest even more. Veteran writer Patent gives readers a detailed look into the lives of these canines and the myriad ways in which they help. She begins with an introduction to dogs and their noses. Their super smelling ability, thanks to millions of odor-sensitive nerve cells, initially was used by humans in hunting and herding. Dogs that perform scent work today are bred or found in shelters and examined for certain characteristics. The training, accomplished through rewards of food or play, can be for jobs that range from finding explosives to rescuing people, digging up bodies, discovering drugs, and most recently, helping to track endangered species and sniffing out people's diseases and monitoring them. The colorful design enhances the photographs, which are occasionally on the small side. But the information on its own is fascinating, and kids will come away with renewed respect for dogs. Sourcing comes only in the form of an author's note, but additional titles and websites extend the text.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Patent provides an extensive and eye-opening look at how dogs are trained for a variety of service capacities, including in the military, for search-and-rescue operations, and as medical alert dogs. Occasional profiles of individual dogs appear amid larger, photo-heavy discussions of the wide variety of jobs these dogs do and how they are trained. Lily, a Labrador retriever mix, was able to put her intense and active personality to work tracking down gorilla dung for scientists, while a dog named Oakley serves as a companion to a diabetic boy, alerting his parents if his blood drops too low. Ages 7--10. Agent: Susan Schulman, Susan Schulman Literary Agency. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-This well-written work focuses on trained dogs who use their innate, powerful sense of smell to benefit the world. After an introduction about the basics of canine nasal acuity, Patent breaks the topic down into three categories: "Searching and Saving," "Helping Planet Earth," and "Medical Alert Dogs." Meaningful text and spot-on photography unlock the mysteries, showing specialized skills, effective training methods, and specific canine personality requirements that, when put together, create amazing possibilities. Emergency rescue personnel use sniffer dogs to help locate the wounded after disasters. The military and police rely on the uncanny dogs' sense of smell to identify explosives, illegal drugs, or other serious dangers. Biologists and scientists study environmental concerns on land or sea, using these animals to find endangered species or invasive plant species. Medical personnel fight deadly diseases or allergies with the help of trained dogs that have the extraordinary ability to identify imminent emergencies, thus eliminating the need for constant extensive medical testing. Readers will be stunned by the abilities of these highly trained, talented dogs. This expertly written, engaging text may even prompt some kids to team up with the family pets to learn more about dogs' extraordinary sense of smell.-Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA (c) Copyright 2014. 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.
Review by Horn Book Review
This book extols the virtues of working dogs and their amazing noses. Patent relates how dogs, with a sense of smell forty times stronger than humans possess, have been trained for tasks such as detecting drugs and bombs, rescuing humans in disasters, helping locate endangered animals, and recognizing potential medical emergencies. Large full-color photographs accompany the informative and fascinating narrative. Reading list, websites. Ind. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An exploration of the many jobs dogs, with their superior sense of smell, do for humans. Covering a great deal of territory, the table of contents lists four chapters: "Dogs and Their Amazing Noses," "Searching and Saving," "Helping Planet Earth" and "Medical Alert Dogs." Patent does a commendable job of delivering the information, but the 48 pages feel rather crowded. Not only does she discuss all the activities dogs and their noses do in the service of humans, but she also gives brief explanations of an invasive species, diabetes, and conservation efforts for gorillas and orcas, among other subtopics. While these latter are important and notable subjects, they are not adjunct enough to the book's primary topic to keep readers focused and ultimately have the result of cluttering and confusing rather than enhancing the main exploration. The overall effect for readers is a bit like reading a list of facts in a brochure. The book's designa lively primary-color onesets black type on either yellow, blue or red backgrounds alongside plenty of full-color photos with captions. The red background is the least successful, since it is difficult to see the black type against it.Too many topics result in an ambitious but ultimately rather dry work. (index, resources) (Nonfiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
