Dog of Discovery - Hardcover

Laurence Pringle has written 108 books for young readers, many of them award-winning science titles. He is the recipient of three major awards for his body of work-the Eva L. Gordon Award for Children's Science Literature, the Washington Post-Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He lives in West Nyack, New York-a few miles from Rockland Lake, once "the ice box of New York City."

Grade 3-6-In 1803, a small group of men set out to explore the unmapped territories west of the United States extending all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Despite many hardships and encounters with grizzly bears, rattlesnakes, and wild rapids, the Corps of Discovery traveled more than 8000 miles and returned triumphantly in the summer of 1806. Among this group was a most unusual member-a Newfoundland dog. As a hunter, retriever, and guard dog, Seaman was a valuable member of the expedition. In this book, he serves as an unusual focus as events unfold. This is a richly detailed and historically accurate account of the expedition, told as dated entries, with clarity and descriptive language. Pringle closely follows and highlights the adventures of Seaman as they appeared in the journals of Lewis and Clark, and the loyalty and devotion he exhibited as he risked his life many times. Selections from their journals appear throughout the story, and Pringle also offers evidence, first discovered in 2000, about what happened to the animal after the expedition came to an end. Intriguing sidebars, maps, historical illustrations, and original art make this a treasure trove of information about the expedition, and the dog that was its most unusual participant.
Janet Gillen, Great Neck Public Library, NY
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