When You Wander

Review by Ariadna Sánchez

When You Wander is written by the Newbery Honor winning Cuban-American author Margarita Engle. When You Wander is a story about a search and rescue dog. The marvelous illustrations by Mary Morgan complement this amazing adventure.

Dogs are more than just pets. Dogs are smart, loyal, friendly and helpful creatures. Search and rescue dogs bring hope to families when a relative is missing. When You Wander explains to young readers the extraordinary ability of a search and rescue dog. Margarita Engle’s story is a charming learning experience to be read by the whole family during the holidays. Engle’s words fill each page with delicate language that emphasizes the one of a kind skill of the magnificent search and rescue dogs.

When a little boy is walking by himself, he notices that he is lost. The moon appears in the sky. The bright stars are shining over his head. The boy is afraid, anxious, and worried. He is scared in the middle of nowhere. He holds tight to a tree. However, the young boy does not need to be afraid because the search and rescue dog is on his way. The dog sniffs zigzagging in the bushes, and he cuts through the warm air in the middle of the night. The search and rescue dog will jump, climb and run until he brings the young boy safe back to his home. Search and rescue dogs are special because they turn darkness into a bright and shiny light when a person is found.

This book is the perfect gift for the youngest members of your family. The entire family will love it. To learn more about search and rescue dogs visit The National Search Dog Alliance http://www.n-sda.org/ , The California Rescue Dog Association http://search-dogs.carda.org/ or The National Association for Search and Rescue http://www.nasar.org/.

Reading gives you wings. Read this book today!