We bought these beautiful picture books while at the Best Friends National Conference two weeks ago.
The first, Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship, written by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes is based on a true story. In the book, Rescue, a service dog, befriends Jessica, a double-amputee. The real-life Jessica (Kensky herself) is a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing, though the Jessica of the book is based on a younger version of herself. Co-writer Downes, Kensky’s partner, is also a survivor of that bombing. Rescue is the dog who assists Jessica and brings her back to life and happiness after tragedy.
I was amazed at all the things Rescue can do. Aside from barking for help if Jessica falls, he can open things hard for her to reach, make a phone call, and help her cross a busy city street by tapping on the “walk” button with his paw. But, ultimately, the most important thing Rescue gives Jessica is love, and vice versa. Sweet, and very informative story about the remarkable talents of service dogs with realistic, detailed illustrations by Scott Magoon.
We bought these beautiful picture books while at the Best Friends National Conference two weeks ago.
The first, Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship, written by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes is based on a true story. In the book, Rescue, a service dog, befriends Jessica, a double-amputee. The real-life Jessica (Kensky herself) is a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing, though the Jessica of the book is based on a younger version of herself. Co-writer Downes, Kensky’s partner, is also a survivor of that bombing. Rescue is the dog who assists Jessica and brings her back to life and happiness after tragedy.
I was amazed at all the things Rescue can do. Aside from barking for help if Jessica falls, he can open things hard for her to reach, make a phone call, and help her cross a busy city street by tapping on the “walk” button with his paw. But, ultimately, the most important thing Rescue gives Jessica is love, and vice versa. Sweet, and very informative story about the remarkable talents of service dogs with realistic, detailed illustrations by Scott Magoon.
Before You Were Mine by Maribeth Boelts is a sweet story about a boy who adopts a rescue dog. The boy wonders all kinds of things about his new little pup, such as what kind of family he had previously, why they gave him up, and whether he ever slept on cold streets and in dark alleys – things anyone who’s ever adopted a shelter animal thinks about. But, ultimately, the boy realizes – as we all do – that none of that really matters. All that matters is that they belong to each other now. Charming watercolor illustrations by David Walker bring to life this touching tale encouraging adoption.
Picture books are among our favorites since they teach children to love, understand, and respect animals 🙂
