ANIMALS WHO HAVE WON OUR HEARTS

Well-known naturalist and author George writes an inspiring celebration of ten beloved animals and the feats that made them famous. Taking time off from writing YA nature mysteries (most recently, The Fire Bug Connection, 1993), George tells the stories of such heroes and heroines as Balto, the sled dog who helped carry a consignment of antitoxin to a subarctic town suffering an epidemic of diphtheria; Smokey Bear, the US Forest Service mascot who, before becoming a cartoon bear in a forest ranger's hat, was a real bear cub who survived a fire in New Mexico's Lincoln National Forest; and the three gray whales who were iced-in at Point Barrow, Alaska, two of whom were led to safety in 1988 by an international team of scientists and concerned citizens. The most amazing story here is about Koko, the gorilla who learned enough sign language to say, among other things, "Stupid devil devilhead." But there is something in all the tales, each of which is wonderfully illustrated by Merrill's paintings and told by George with grace and sensitivity. (Nonfiction. 8-12)