Sparky

Reviewed by: Deidre Walsh - Goodall Library, Sanford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 6, 2017

Review

Dogs & horses. What 2nd-4th grader wouldn't like this? As with others in this series, it combines history, fact, fiction, & lots of dog information. This is a special cross over/companion edition to the Horse Diaries title CinderS. In this title a young dalmation lives & works at a firehouse in 1871 Chicago. Told in Sparky the dalmation's first person narrative. This was a time when horses pulled the equipment to put out fires. And dogs were there to keep the horses calm. Sparky tells what it is like to work at a firehouse and help put out fires. We learn about Chicago of 1871 and of the infamous Great Chicago Fire of 1871. We also learn about dalmations as a breed of dog. This is an interesting story full of drama, history, & dog information. The text is easy to read & uncluttered. The illustrations are black & white & add to the enjoyment of the story. The only weakness is the $7.99 price for a small paperback book. It is worth it, but may be probitive to smaller libraries. Otherwise this is a fine addition to most library collections.

Overall Book Score: good