Togo to the Rescue : How a Heroic Husky Saved the Lives of Children in Alaska
$18.99 USD
hardcover
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection • You may know Balto—now explore the true story of Togo, the heroic Siberian Husky who traveled through a terrifying blizzard to help deliver life-saving medicine to children in need.
"A triumphant telling filled with depth and excitement." —Publishers Weekly
In January 1925, the community of Nome, Alaska, was overcome by an outbreak of diphtheria, a deadly disease that affected mostly children. If that weren’t enough, a blinding snowstorm prevented all travel to and from the rural town. Who would deliver the serum cure? Nome’s only hope rested on sled dogs. An expedition was quickly organized: The dogs would travel in teams in a relay covering 674 miles to deliver the serum. One of those teams, led by musher Leonhard Seppala, had Togo at the helm. It was Togo leading the pack that traveled the longest and most dangerous part of the expedition.
This incredible true story celebrates courage and determination in the face of unimaginable circumstances, and cements Togo’s legacy in history as a legendary dog hero. Includes rich back matter on this time period in American history featuring information on Alaska, the Diphtheria outbreak, anti-serum toxin, and dog sledding as a means of transportation in times of need.
Mélisande and Giselle Potter are a mother-daughter team who have created numerous books individually, but Cher Ami: Based on the World War I Legend of the Fearless Pigeon—a CBC-NCSS Notable Social Studies Selection—marked their first collaboration. Mélisande is the illustrator of Pizza for the Queen by Nancy Castaldo
Giselle is the award-winning illustrator of over thirty books for children, including The Boy Who Loved Words, The Honest-to-Goodness Truth, and The Big Box by Toni Morrison. She also illustrated a column for the New York Times called Ties
"The story of the sled dogs that braved a blizzard, transporting serum to quell a 1925 diphtheria outbreak in Nome, Alaska, has been told before, via the story of Balto the dog. In this picture book, mother-daughter collaborators the Potters (Cher Ami) spotlight another participant: sled dog leader Togo, who led the most challenging part of that relay, traveling, per back matter, 261 miles in five days under brutal conditions. Folk-style watercolor paintings give the characters a classic, sculptural feel in a triumphant telling filled with depth and excitement."—Publishers Weekly "This straightforward but exciting account describes how [Togo] grew from a sickly pup to become a trusted lead dog. The serum run is explained in enough detail to make a gripping story without overwhelming readers with a wall of text. . . . Fans of heroic animals, epic journeys, and plucky upstarts will all find much to enjoy here—and children who are chided for being ‘too active’ may recognize a kindred spirit."—Booklist "The Potter mother-daughter team tells the true story of Togo, an exceptional Siberian husky owned by the musher Leonhard Seppala of Nome, Alaska. An accessible text recounts Togo’s somewhat tumultuous beginnings. Mélisande Potter crafts an exciting story and deftly weaves the history of the Serum Run of 1925 into one canine hero’s tale. Giselle Potter, using ink and watercolor, perfectly captures Togo’s clear-sighted determination and fearlessness."—The Horn Book
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