Although holidays loom, her class has been set a friendship assignment to be completed during the break. This is a challenge for Scout, with results she could never imagine.
Scout has something wonderful to look forward to. She and Dad set out in their truck to deliver donated dog food to the animal rescue shelters in rural Australia to cover the Christmas need.
Their trip is more than just the deliveries. It is a time to bond, meet new dogs and help others that might have some need. Updating the shelter’s site for the manager at their first stop is the start.
Brainstorming leads to a plethora of clever ideas, beginning with a site to find forever homes for every dog.
Scout creates a list of profiles and characteristics for each canine so they can be matched up to a suitable owner. (Tony Flowers’ illustrations for this are a perfect touch to the story). Each stop they make, even through fire-ravaged areas, deepens Scout’s resolve to find homes for the shelter dogs.
The talented Dianne Wolfer has created an interesting chapter book full of innovative thoughts and ideas around the importance of considering properly, what is involved in choosing a dog or giving one as a gift.
With an accent on climate change and the bushfires recently experienced in our country, it addresses community, helping wild animals and each other in times of crisis, concerns for unlicensed backyard puppy farms, and how children are affected by grief.
A funny section of jokes flows through the narrative which relieves the seriousness of animal rescue shelters.
Title: Scout And The Rescue DogsAuthor: Dianne Wolfer
Illustrator: Tony Flowers
Publisher: Walker Books, $15.99
Publication Date: 7 June 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760655860
For ages: 9+
Type: Junior Fiction
