Children's book Review

Kali Leads the Way
by Nancy West
ISBN-10: 0978672208
Review by Heather Froeschl

Where danger lies, heroes lead the way. Sometimes those heroes are dedicated animals. In "Kali Leads the Way" by Nancy West, readers are introduced to one hero with four paws in the land mine strewn countryside of Cambodia.

Kali is a young Labrador Retriever in training to be a humanitarian mine detection dog. Her job is to use her keen sense of smell to detect buried land mines. Her challenge is to overcome her non-work related curiosity. Kali is distracted by butterflies and her trainer decides that she is not yet ready for work. She soon proves herself when her companion work dogs fail to find something that she spots easily...a live mine near the training site. When the monsoon season arrives in Cambodia the other dogs are brought to a nearby city to wait it out. The dogs cannot work in the heavy rain. Kali remains with her trainer to watch over the training grounds. One night, after many rain soaked days, the clouds clear and a knock is heard at the door. A man carries his young son, desperately in need of medical care, and hopes that Kali can lead them over the mountain to the city. Kali is able to focus on her work, and ignore temptation, but will she safely guide the group around a buried mine and the other dangers that lurk in the forest?

This beautifully illustrated book shows the dedicated service dogs like Kali provide. It also gently explains what land mines are and the dangers that farmers and others face having to live with this very real unknown threat. Educators looking to introduce this sad product of war will find this book to be a perfect blend of fact and hopeful outlook. Information on what can be done about land mines is provided at the back of the book.

Nancy West takes a tragic situation and turns it into something we can all hope for. Showing the growth of the dog's sense of duty puts the developing hero in a relatable light. Children will cheer her on as she ignores the monkeys and sticks to her task. Adult readers will be touched by the sense of need and desire for help. Kali is leading the world in showing compassion and taking control, and that's just what we all need more of. Well done!

Children's Book Review

Chips: A Hometown Hero
by Nancy M. West
ISBN-10: 0974365912
Review by Heather Froeschl

I imagine it must be difficult to bring history to life for school children. What better way to introduce an important time in our nation’s past than to capture a child’s attention with a unique, but mostly true story? In Nancy West’s book, “CHIPS a Hometown Hero,” readers will come to adore a rambunctious and lovable pup, and cheer him on as he becomes the most highly decorated K9 hero of World War II.

Chips meets his family and begins his puppyhood getting into all sorts of trouble. He has a nose for investigations and he follows it everywhere. During his time with Nan, Gail, baby John, mother and father, Chips shreds his share of line drying laundry, chews on father’s shoes, saves the baby from drowning, and grows to be a very large dog. He is a husky/collie/shepherd mix and he pays tribute to each breed in his actions. When World War II enters every American home with the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the family wants to help in whatever way they can. It becomes clear that Chips is in need of a mission and he becomes one of the first enlisted canines in the Dogs for Defense program. Thinking he would be staying in the states, patrolling and providing whatever service he can, his family willingly sends him off to K9 training camp. His actions at camp lead to him being one of the first dogs sent overseas. His actions on the front prove to be heroic. Chips and his handler save lives and truly make a difference. He even gets to meet President Eisenhower…although that doesn’t go quite so well.

This book is based on the real life story of Chips the World War II K9 hero, from Pleasantville, NY. It is a tale that captures the young reader’s attention, making the war something that can begin to be understood. Seeing the story from Chips’ perspective adds to the innocent feel of learning this information for the first time. Throughout the book certain words are italicized and these can easily be looked up in the glossary at the back of the book. Unfamiliar terms like Axis Powers, and Allied Forces, civilian, mascot, and medic become things the reader can understand. Certainly this book should be used in classrooms but for any child aged nine and up who has an interest in dogs, the military, our nation’s wars, or history, Nancy West’s “Chips a Hometown Hero” is a must have.
An exciting, interesting (and fact based!) story that will delight all dog lovers as a special canine tale, I highly recommend this book!