2023 Finalist AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books
STARRED REVIEW! "A fun series that kids will enjoy."—Booklist starred review
Meet a rodent with a life-saving sense of smell.
Magawa is an African giant pouched rat with a special skill: sniffing out buried land mines. Follow this HeroRat from training at a university in Tanzania, to working in the field in Cambodia, to winning a gold medal for her efforts to make land safe for humans and animals once again.
Starred review from April 15, 2022
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* Though the Animalographies picture-book series (2 new titles) uses fictionalized stories told from an animal's perspective, it's an effective vehicle for imparting factual information to young learners. Engaging first-person narration, with periodic diary entries, draws readers into accounts of remarkable animals throughout history. In these installments, the featured animals perform various jobs with humans, and their training is detailed along with an accounting of their accomplishments. HeroRat! introduces African giant pouched rat Magawa, who learns to sniff out dangerous land mines and is put to work in Cambodia. Readers will find the different stages of his nine-month training program fascinating. Each story concludes with a "Fact Sheet" that offers quick stats on the animal heroes plus interesting information that connects with the main story. HeroRat! lists animals that, like Magawa, have won awards for their amazing work. A fun series that kids will enjoy.
COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.