Rats to the Rescue : The Unlikely Heroes Making Cambodia Safe

Heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and species!

Growing up in Cambodia, Malen knew that dangers from a long-ago war lay hidden underground. Buried explosives forced her and many others to live, farm, and play in fear. As she got older, Malen learned how to use a metal detector to find and safely dispose of these landmines.

Five thousand miles away, in Tanzania, Magawa was also learning how to find landmines. But he didn’t need a metal detector―he had his nose. Magawa was a rat, and his smelling superpower and light weight helped him safely sniff out dangerous explosives.

After completing his training, Magawa joined Malen in Cambodia, and together they cleared more than a hundred landmines from fields all across the country. A fascinating true story with a hopeful ending and rich back matter from Scott Riley, author of The Floating Field, with Sambat Meas, a Cambodian deminer, and Cambodian American illustrator Huy Voun Lee.

Scott Riley is a teacher and children's book author. Scott has spent nearly thirty years teaching in the US, Indonesia, Czech Republic, and Singapore. Scott draws inspiration from the people he meets and the places he explores while living overseas. His debut picture book The Floating Field was a Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List title, Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books, and Freeman Book Award winner. He currently lives in Singapore with his wife, two daughters, and one very lively labradoodle.

As a child growing up in Cambodia, Sambat Meas could see that the deminers working to clear the country of landmines were heroes. He now works with Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Product Development (APOPO) to help make Cambodia a safer place for everyone.

Huy Voun Lee arrived in New York City at the age of six as a Cambodian refugee. She quickly developed a love for art from playing with the scrap papers her mother brought home from her workplace. Huy has written and illustrated many books for children including Like a Dandelion and Origami Playhouse. On many days, she can be found sharing the joys of origami and art with school children in New York City and visitors of the Museum of Natural History. Huy lives with her husband and mother in New York.