Laika the Space Dog

November 1, 2014

Gr 2-5-These picture books retell the stories of famous animals. Sgt. Reckless and Stubby were war heroes, while Laika was the first creature to be sent into outer space, and Scarlett rescued her kittens from a burning building. Only Laika portrays a title animal who did not survive the call to duty-but does so gently and honestly. An "Afterword" in each title provides a photo and update on what happened after the main events, except for Scarlett, which describes the aftermath of her rescue in the main text. Illustrations vary across titles. Most are realistic, although the cartoon faces of the people in Sgt. Reckless are jarring compared with the realistic treatment of the horse. The quality of the back matter is inconsistent. Collections that already have Hero Cat (Two Lions, 2011) won't need Scarlett, and the slightly more advanced Stubby the War Dog (National Geographic, 2014) may trump Stubby. Larger libraries or those in need of more titles on heroic animals may find this series of use.

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