Lisa M. Gerry

Working dogs are trained to perform specific tasks such as detecting bombs or assisting a visually impaired person. In most cases, the dogs are breed to promote particular physical characters such as herding dogs.
Read the recently published children’s picture book on this topic, then learn more at the websites:
CADI: THE FARM DOG by Lisa M. Gerry is part of the new DOGGY DEFENDERS series celebrating the experiences of real-life working dogs. Each book explores a different type of dog such as the fire dog, therapy dog, police dog, and search dog. Cadi is a farm dog that protects farm animals and assists humans. Each two-page spread contains colorful photographs and engaging, easy-to-read text. The book concludes with information about Cadi and his human family.
WORKING DOGS is a short video from National Geographic that introduces the concept of working dogs to viewers. A YouTube search for particularly types of working dogs returns lots of videos.
Working Dogs https://bit.ly/3cmxFx8
ARC courtesy of National Geographic Kids.… (mere)

I loved this series when it came out last fall and I've been excitedly waiting for new titles!

This follows the same format as the previous books, introducing a working dog, their training, work, and family. Cadi lives on a family farm with the Bakers. She's shown in a picture with the couple and their six children at the beginning of the book and then her work begins. She herds the cows to pasture and then takes a break to wander the farm, allowing the book to show some of the other farm animals and the children interacting with them. After guard duty and a bath, Cadi goes back out to bring the cows home and her day is done.

In the "Meet the Family" section at the back, Jessie Baker explains why and how they got a working dog and how her son, Tommy, then 10 years old, trained her. There is another page of tips about caring for animals in general, like giving them plenty of water, not littering to protect animals from trash, and calling an adult when you see an injured animal.

These could be either picture books, easy chapters, or easy readers. I put them in my easy reader section. Their format is an 8x8 hardcover and there are short paragraphs on each page, in bold type, at approximately a 530 lexile level.

Verdict: Cute dogs doing jobs! What more do you need to know? These are super popular in my library and I love them myself, so I'm hoping for even more books in the future!

ISBN: 9781426336805; Published April 2020 by National Geographic Kids; Purchased for the library… (mere)

I am totally in love with this new series from National Geographic. Each book features a different working dog and, in simple language, explains what they do and how they are trained. The four titles I looked at featured dogs that work with the police, fire department, and as a therapy dog.

Dolley, a perky golden lab with adorable ears, works with the fire department to detect arson. Dolley works with Captain Herndon to detect accelerants at fire scenes. Readers will see how Dolley is trained and practices regularly, and how she can detect scents at an actual scene. She also works as an educator with kids to teach them about fire safety. When her work is done, Dolley gets carefully bathed and cared for, then gets to go home with Captain Herndon and hang out with her family of dogs and people. Back matter has a brief interview with Captain Herndon, introduces his other dogs and son, and talks about what Dolley likes to do to relax. A page of safety tips from Dolley gives simple ways that kids and their families can practice fire safety.

Tiger, a Belgian Malinois, is a police dog in Washington D. C. He works with his human partner, Aida Rodriguez, to sniff out "dangerous things." I'm guessing this means he primarily detects bombs, but probably drugs too. The book takes the reader through a typical day with Tiger. After getting ready for the day, the officer and Tiger ride to the police station in a K-9 unit. They get their assignments for the day, then check a Metro car and a school. Tiger works with another dog and then with a robot to check other areas. His busy day done, Tiger goes home with Rodriguez and plays a game of fetch. In the back matter Officer Rodriguez answers questions about Tiger and her work as a police officer, then there is a page of safety tips like looking both ways before crossing a street, not petting working dogs, and knowing how to call 911.

Stella, a bloodhound, works with the state police and Trooper Enzo Diaz as a search and rescue dog. Today, she starts out by training at the police station, then goes on patrol. She and Trooper Diaz get a call and it's off to the rescue, in a helicopter. SHE HAS DOGGY GOGGLES. The doggy goggles kill me. Stella takes off through the woods, searching for a missing hiker. And, incidentally, creating the most awesome photo of the book and possibly the series, as she leaps over a fallen log and all her saggy skin goes in different directions. Stella finds the missing hiker and gets lots of appreciation from him and the rest of the state troopers back at the station. The interview at the back talks about how Stella likes to hang out at home with Diaz, his wife, baby, and other dog, and some of her quirks as well as Diaz' own work as a police trooper. There are more safety tips at the back, although some of these are random, like not keeping secrets from your parents. There are some about not getting lost and what to do if you get lost though.

Willow, a rescued greyhound, is a therapy dog. Along with her owner and trainer Megan, she does something different every day. An older man, Jim, is shown helping get Willow ready for the day and then she's off to a hospital with a large group of therapy dogs, to visit patients and staff. Next, she and Megan visit a school, where she cuddles with the kids to help them relax. She visits a home for retired veterans, and finally a library where the kids read to her. Her day finally over, Willow relaxes with her family of greyhounds, Jim and Megan, then gets into a cozy pair of pajamas for bedtime. Megan answers questions about Willow at the back and then there is a page of tips on being a "good friend and neighbor" including volunteering, listening to and respecting others, and donating things you don't use any more.

Of these four books, Willow is probably the weakest title; I'm skeptical that they would do that many therapy appointments in one day and overall her training and life were not described very clearly. Some of the books, like Tiger's, went a bit overboard in trying not to get detailed about the dogs' work with crime. Stella probably has the best pictures! Overall, the whole series is awesome though. Lots of great photographs, clear, simple explanations of the dogs' work, and a diversity of trainers and people who work with them. The books are 8x8 and have large text and bold fonts. Although marketed as picture books, they would also work well as easy readers and because of their smaller size that's probably where I would place them. A fluent reader could easily follow the text with only a little help and kids are already familiar with the yellow spines of easy nonfiction by National Geographic in our library.

Verdict: A fun and informative new series; at least one new title is planned for next May, featuring a working farm dog, and I'm hoping for service dogs as well. The publisher's description suggests these to fans of the popular tv show Paw Patrol, but I think any kids who like dogs will be enthusiastic about these. Recommended.

Stella the search dog
ISBN: 9781426334504

Tiger the police dog
ISBN: 9781426332982

Dolley the fire dog
ISBN: 9781426333002

Willow the therapy dog
ISBN: 9781426334481

Published September 2019 by National Geographic Kids; Review copies provided by publisher; Donated to the library… (mere)