Reviewed by Olivia
Rating: High Five
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of anything Beatrix Potter, the War that Saved My Life, and Drowned City.
Synopsis (from Amazon):
A family—a mother, a father, and their ten-year-old son—have come all the way from Florida to the Appalachian foothills to experience the wonder of a snowy weekend. At a nearby farm, a cattle dog is working, as she does every day, driving her forty head of cattle from pasture to corral and back again. And then, suddenly, a blizzard descends. The family is trapped outside, disoriented in the whiteout. They are panicked, exhausted, freezing, and stranded in waist-deep drifts. From off in the distance, the cattle dog has heard their faint, snow-drowned cries. Her inexhaustible attention turns to saving them. This stirring tale is both a compelling story of survival and a meditation on the tremendous will of man's best friend.
Rating: High Five
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of anything Beatrix Potter, the War that Saved My Life, and Drowned City.
Synopsis (from Amazon):
A family—a mother, a father, and their ten-year-old son—have come all the way from Florida to the Appalachian foothills to experience the wonder of a snowy weekend. At a nearby farm, a cattle dog is working, as she does every day, driving her forty head of cattle from pasture to corral and back again. And then, suddenly, a blizzard descends. The family is trapped outside, disoriented in the whiteout. They are panicked, exhausted, freezing, and stranded in waist-deep drifts. From off in the distance, the cattle dog has heard their faint, snow-drowned cries. Her inexhaustible attention turns to saving them. This stirring tale is both a compelling story of survival and a meditation on the tremendous will of man's best friend.
Thoughts: First, can I just say how gorgeous these illustrations were? The Tale of Rescue, a short, hundred-or-so page book, was filled to the brim with the most amazing watercolors that really painted (pun intended) the story in a vivid way. I’m pretty positive the story is based off of real events that occurred in the author’s life, revolving around a heroic farm dog. Although the plotline of a person becoming trapped by a natural disaster and being rescued by an incredible dog could arguably become exhausted, I always enjoy these stories. The Tale of Rescue would be my favorite, of all those types of books, that I’ve read so far. The writing had an old-fashioned, timeless feel to it, like many of the Classics I’ve read (Beatrix Potter is probably the most similar), yet it was still fast-paced. It was, as the illustrations were, a brilliant, beautiful asset to the book - in fact, these two factors really made this book, if you know what I mean. The story was also well-crafted, with heartwarming and on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments alike. Actually, I wouldn’t describe this as on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of book . The story was still mellow, like a book that you’d read to a younger child before bed each night - a classic storybook.
I would recommend this to everyone - a sweet, heartwarming, beautiful story.
I would recommend this to everyone - a sweet, heartwarming, beautiful story.
