This book was a heartbreaker. I was on break from work, in the Barnes and Noble reading children books when I came across this one. I love dogs and the cover was so adorable that I was drawn to it. When I saw that it was about a Marine and Iraqi dog, I sat down for a truly heartwarming story.This story got me choked up inside because it was so real. Living in Iowa, thousands of miles away from war, I don't always get the gravity of the situation in Iraq. I mean, I read the paper and watch the news, but it is so foreign to me that it just doesn't seem quite possible. I know it is a horrific war, with innocent people killed everyday and this story of an American Marine and an abused dog made me really connect more personally.
We teach tolerance and respect. We teach children to reach out to those in need, but what if you had been abused? Would you be able to reach out or respect anyone again? This brave dog saw the good in the Marine squad stationed at his fort and went out of his comfort zone to pursue what he wanted most: companionship and love. The bond between this dog and man was amazing and made me almost want to cry. Nubs at one point walks over 70 miles in the desert with nothing to find the soldier--amazing. I think this book with its real photographs of the conflict area would be a good way to show some of the audacities of war to young children. By building an understanding of what war really is, we can hopefully keep the next generation from having to actively participate in any future conflicts. Love and companionship are vital to everyone and this book illustrated it beautifully.
Erika,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this heartfelt review. When Mary and I read about Nubs and Brian, we instantly knew this was the next book for us to write together. We flew to San Diego to meet these two buddies and we all instantly clicked. Brian generously gave us access to his photos and to all the emails he'd sent home, all of which contributed to making this true story even more powerful.
The publisher has put together a website which you might enjoy, www.thestoryofnubs.com, and this morning Brian and Nubs were on the Today Show -- you can see them together and see their great bond.