Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Ellie tells the story of her training and life as a search and rescue dog.Ellie was first introduced in the adult book A Dog's Purpose (2011). In this adaptation for children, the story is all her own. Starting with her earliest days in a large litter of puppies, Ellie's narration details not only how Jakob, her trainer, selected her from among her littermates, but also the fascinating, realistic details of teaching her how to Find and Work, "games" that she comes to value. But Jakob is a frustration to her. He's grieving over the death of his wife and seems unable to love Ellie. After he's wounded by a criminal, Ellie is turned over to Maya, who has much to learn about partnering with a search and rescue dog, skills Ellie patiently helps her with. Injured during a rescue, Ellie's career seems to be over until she becomes involved in a breathtaking rescue of a small child swept into a rain-filled storm sewer. Ellie's view of the world is spot-on, feeling just like the thoughts dogs must have, particularly her disdain for cats (not worth training) and her anxious concern for people who aren't busy playing with her ("It was too bad. They had nothing to do"). Additional information on how search and rescue dogs are selected and trained is appended. A satisfying and illuminating tale. (Fiction. 9-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

German shepherd Ellie tells how she is trained from puppyhood to be a search-and-rescue dog. Her thoughts include concern for her trainers' happiness and observations about the uselessness of cats. There's suspense and action, and the human-dog interactions are heartwarming; occasional black-and-white illustrations are dark and poorly proportioned. Back matter includes search-and-rescue dog facts and a reading and activity guide. Reading list, websites. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.