Book Review: Top Dogs : Canines That Made History by Elizabeth MacLeod

Top Dogs : Canines That Made History by Elizabeth MacLeod is a children's non fiction book. It shares the stories of eight canines whose actions influenced the course of history. Among the dogs featured are Stubby, a mutt who rescued American soldiers in the trenches of WWI, Buddy, the first seeing-eye-dog in North America, Brandy, a German Shepherd who discovered a bomb aboard a plane, and Seaman, the Newfoundland, who accompanied Lewis and Clark, helping them complete their expedition by protecting them from wild animals and providing them with food. Scattered throughout the book are side bars filled with information about the exploits of many other dogs as well as the history, habits, and characteristics of various breeds.

Top Dogs : Canines That Made History is a wonderful collection of stories and bits of information that will interest young readers, particularly those with a love of animals. The information is presented in a narrative style that is accessible and interesting. There is a sense of adventure and flavor of the time from each story, and there are sidebars of other information about dogs that might inspire further research. While I knew most of these stories, at least in part, I enjoyed the read and felt like I learned a lot. I think readers like my daughter, who loves all things animal related, will be very interested in this read. Others that are interested in history or dogs along will also get a good amount of knowledge and enjoyment from the read. The balance of entertainment and knowledge is nearly perfect here, and I think that the book would make a good addition to school and public library collections.