When You Wander: A Search-and-Rescue Dog Story - Hardcover

Engle, Margarita

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805093125 ISBN 13: 9780805093124

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2013

Synopsis

When you wander
down a leafy path
I can smell
your invisible
trail . . .

This cozy story gently teaches children what to do if they lose their way, and reassures them that a search-and-rescue dog can find them wherever they are. And once a child is found, the dog will bring people to make sure that everyone gets home safe and sound.

Full of interesting facts about search-and-rescue dogs and tips for young children in case they get lost, Margarita Engle's When You Wander is a fascinating peek into the world of these amazing dogs and the children they save.

About this title

About the Authors

Margarita Engle is a Cuban American poet, novelist, and journalist whose work has been published in many countries. She is the author of young adult nonfiction books and novels in verse including The Surrender Tree, a Newbery Honor Book, The Poet Slave of Cuba, Hurricane Dancers, The Firefly Letters, and Tropical Secrets. She lives in northern California.

Mary Morgan has illustrated more than forty children’s books and written several too, including Dragon Pizzeria. Mary and her husband divide their time between Semur en Auxois, a small village in France, their sailboat in the Mediterranean Sea, and visiting their family.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 1-A simple, poetic narrative in the voice of a rescue dog describes the animal's powerful sense of smell. The book recommends that children who might get lost in the woods "stay in one place./Hug a tree./Think of me./I will race/against the night/and the wind/to bring you home safe." While this is valuable advice, the youngster depicted in the appealing watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil illustrations is a toddler, someone who is not developmentally ready to learn or remember the information. The age of this child will confuse older readers and discourage them from attending to the message in this picture book.-Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MIα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Engle and Morgan pair up to describe the job of a search-and-rescue dog in very simple terms for very young children. A small child has wandered off, and the text and drawings show how the beautiful golden-colored graduate of “sniffing school” sets about finding the little rambler. Told from the dog’s point of view, the book’s panels and bubbles display what the dog smells as it practices its skills and puts them to use. Helpful advice, told in a nonfrightening manner, stresses the importance of staying in one place as the dog says, “Hug a tree. Think of me.” The warm, comforting pictures, created in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencils, reflect the soft nature of the text. Happy hugs go all around as the family is reunited, and dog and trainer break into big smiles. A final page gives helpful “Dog Nose Facts” and offers advice for parents and teachers in educating young kids about these canine heroes and what to do if lost. Preschool-Grade 2. --Lolly Gepson

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805093125
• ISBN 13: 9780805093124
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Morgan Mary
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32