The story of Military Working Dogs and Specialized Search Dogs is presented in a fascinating, full-color volume.
Nine thousand dogs served in World War II. More than 30 breeds were trained, but only seven actually served: Belgian sheepdogs, Doberman pinschers, American Eskimo dogs, farm collies, German shepherds, malamutes and Siberian huskies. Four thousand dogs served in Vietnam, and hundreds died in combat. Patent sketches the history of dogs in war from ancient times to World Wars I and II and on to modern wars—Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s dogs’ “super senses” of sight, sound and smell, and their capacity to bond with soldiers that make them so useful in military theaters. They uncovered hidden tunnels in Vietnam, find dangerous land mines in Afghan villages, and locate weapons, explosives and drugs at home and abroad. They leap from aircraft with soldiers (and wear “doggles” to protect their eyes), don K9 Storm Intruder™ vests and wear booties to protect their feet on ice. Besides describing the use of MWDs in various wars, this lively, bursting-with-color volume covers the life of the canine forces from puppy to MWD to retirement. The straightforward text and color photographs celebrate the bonds between dogs and handlers that are so crucial in modern warfare.
A sure hit with dog lovers everywhere. (timeline, glossary, further resources, index) (Nonfiction. 7-12)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8027-2845-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HISTORY
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This book is buzzing with trivia.
Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
Categories: CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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BOOK REVIEW
A measured corrective to pervasive myths about what is often referred to as the “first Thanksgiving.”
Contextualizing them within a Native perspective, Newell (Passamaquoddy) touches on the all-too-familiar elements of the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving and its origins and the history of English colonization in the territory now known as New England. In addition to the voyage and landfall of the Mayflower, readers learn about the Doctrine of Discovery that arrogated the lands of non-Christian peoples to European settlers; earlier encounters between the Indigenous peoples of the region and Europeans; and the Great Dying of 1616-1619, which emptied the village of Patuxet by 1620. Short, two- to six-page chapters alternate between the story of the English settlers and exploring the complex political makeup of the region and the culture, agriculture, and technology of the Wampanoag—all before covering the evolution of the holiday. Refreshingly, the lens Newell offers is a Native one, describing how the Wampanoag and other Native peoples received the English rather than the other way around. Key words ranging from estuary to discover are printed in boldface in the narrative and defined in a closing glossary. Nelson (a member of the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa) contributes soft line-and-color illustrations of the proceedings. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Essential. (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-72637-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Scholastic Nonfiction
Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
Categories: CHILDREN'S HISTORY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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