βAn inspiring tale of compassion and perseverance.β βBooklist (starred review)
Rescue thought heβd grow up to be a Seeing Eye dog, but when he gets the news that heβs better suited to being a service dog, heβs worried that heβs not up to the task. Then he meets Jessica, a girl whose life is turning out differently than the way sheβd imagined it, too. Now Jessica needs Rescue by her side to help her accomplish everyday tasks. And it turns out that Rescue can help Jessica see after all: a way forward, together, one step at a time. Based on a real-life partnership, this 2019 Schneider Family Book Award Winner features an endnote from the authors about service dogs, including their real-life best friend and black lab, Rescue.
This sensitively told versionβwritten with her husband, who also lost a leg in the bombingβhighlights her relationship with the gallant Rescue.
βThe New York Times Book Review
This riveting story about the relationship between a disabled girl and her black lab service dog is based loosely on Kenskyβs own experiences as a double amputee...Throughout, the reader is treated to fascinating details on the many tasks service dogs can accomplish and, more important, how Jessica and Rescue saved each other. An inspiring tale of compassion and perseverance.
βBooklist (starred review)
Magoonβs digital illustrations are a lovely accompaniment to the text, providing rich detail to the spare story, and the scenes of Jessica and Rescue playing and working with the Boston skyline as a backdrop only add to the poignancy. ΒThis is a strong selection for any collection, and stories about working dogs never get old; this will be appreciated and enjoyed by a wide variety of young people.
βSchool Library Journal
Magoon uses dark backgrounds to symbolize Jessica's sadness and fear, but scenes with Rescue are open and bright; with Rescue nearby, even the night after her second amputation is lightened (via lamplight and stars). An authors' note reveals that both are survivors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and includes information on National Education for Assistance Dog Services, the organization that trained Rescue. A gentle introduction to service dogs and acquired disability.
βKirkus Reviews
The quiet and stirring text pairs beautifully with the art, which uses color and white space to convey time, meaning, and emotion with great effect...In the main text, Jessicaβs injuries are not explained; the story instead focuses on the power and comfort that comes from her relationship with her service dog.
βThe Horn Book
Kensky and Downes streamline their characterβs medical ordeal and her process of learning to walk again, highlighting the moments of quiet victory as well as those of despair. Magoonβs (I Have a Balloon) realistic digital illustrations poignantly capture these experiences, offering images of the girl and dog that emphasize the fact that theirs is a mutual rescue. The artist, who like the authors is a Boston resident, provides affectionate, sunlit glimpses of that cityβincluding one featuring a mother duck swimming with her ducklings.
βPublishers Weekly
Renewal of a more poignant sort transpires in the affecting pages of βRescue & Jessicaβ... Scott Magoonβs colorful digital illustrations are pitch-perfect here: detailed enough to convey a sense of reality, yet softened and stylized in a way that will make the emotional intensity bearable for children ages 5 to 9. Young readers may also be delighted by the tasks that Rescue and dogs like him can perform, from fetching a ringing cellphone and opening the fridge to knowing exactly when his human needs consolation.
βThe Wall Street Journal
Based on the real-life story of Rescue and Jessica, this story of courage, adaptation, and a positive attitude to overcoming obstacles is thoroughly inspiring.
βKendal A. Rautzhan's "Books to Borrow"
Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes are a married couple who were both injured during the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Jessicaβs service dog, Rescue, joined their family in 2014. Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes live in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Scott Magoon has been designing, writing, and illustrating books for young readers since 2003. He lives in Reading, Massachusetts.
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