April 1, 2012
Gr 3-6-After grabbing readers' attention with an exciting account of a featured animal's heroism, Goldish sustains interest with crisp presentations of the work of marine mammals, dogs, and pack animals in the military. From canines that sniff out explosives to sea lions that attach clamps to underwater mines, the animals work with human partners to keep military personnel safe. Each volume provides historical examples and discusses current training programs, deployment, and animal care, as well as future possibilities such as robotic substitutes. Fascinating photos of animals at work, e.g., a dog wearing a night vision camera attached to a bulletproof vest, enhance the accounts. The websites provided through the publisher's link at the end of each volume might be more useful to teachers than to students.
Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2012
This series gives an overview of the U.S. military's modern-day use of animals to conduct missions on both land and sea. The brief text is accompanied by captioned photographs and dog-tag-shaped text boxes, which breaks the information into manageable bits. However, the emphasis on simplicity doesn't allow for in-depth discussions on any one topic. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.
(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)