Rescued
DriverWorks Ink / 24 August 2017

Rescued by Janice Howden Reviewed by Michelle Shaw $13.95 ISBN 978192757031-9 Rescued is a deceptively simple book that works on many levels. On the surface, it’s a story about Hawkeye and his brother Freddie, two abandoned Tibetan Terriers, and their search to find a “Forever Home”. Underlying the story is the true account of author Janice Howden’s adoption of her rescue dog Rahj from the Saskatoon SPCA. Janice has been a long-time supporter of the Saskatchewan SPCA. For many years her husband Lloyd worked as an animal protection officer for the organization and she’s heard lots of stories over the years, both good and bad. So when she decided to adopt a dog it wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. She first drew up a checklist to make sure she chose a dog that would suit their family. For one thing, she knew she wanted a dog that didn’t require long runs at dawn. “Not my lifestyle,” she says firmly. “I wanted a smaller dog, one with whom I could enjoy cuddles on the sofa while I watched TV or read.” After months of checking the SPCA website, Janice found two Tibetan Terriers who were about six months old…

Rescued
DriverWorks Ink / 22 December 2016

Rescued by Janice Howden Published by DriverWorks Ink Review by Shelley A. Leedahl $13.95 ISBN 978-192757031-9 Before reading Rescued-Saskatoon writer Janice Howden’s touching story for young readers about a dog’s journey from a puppy mill into the arms of a loving “forever home” family-I’d never heard of Tibetan Terriers. As their name implies, these shaggy-coated dogs originated in the Himalayas, and their “big round feet act like snowshoes in the deep snow.” They’re intelligent, determined, and affectionate, and, as Howden proves in this hybrid story-part non-fiction, part fancy (as told by the canine protagonist)-they can be inspirational. Howden’s combined her passion for promoting pet adoptions from animal rescues, her love for the puppy Hawkeye (later renamed Rahj) she adopted from the Saskatoon SPCA, and her writing skills into a story that works well between the genres of fiction and nonfiction. After an italicized introduction into what lead to Hawkeye’s adoption, she switches to storytelling mode. Here Hawkeye takes over the narration, and this little guy’s feisty. He says the story thus far is “being told rather badly by the human,” and he goes on to share how he and his meek brother, Freddie, were evicted from the kennel (aka puppy…