Detective Dogs- How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species by Alison Pearce Stevens

What worked:

The book focuses on dogs that locate invasive weeds, mollusks, and insects. The author helpfully defines the meaning of the term invasive for young readers, and information about the weeds, mollusks, and insects stands out by using colored pages. While there are many different invasive species, this book focuses specifically on saltcedar, perennial pepperweed, spotted lanternflies, and zebra mussels. The pages include explanations about why these plants and animals are destructive and how the dogs go about locating them. There’s more to it than simply letting the dogs sniff around. A few pages at the end describe what it takes to be a detective dog and what kind of people can become their handlers.

Each of the three book sections highlights three different dogs that have been trained to find the invasive species. It’s appropriate that the dogs provide a range of experiences and abilities. Fenton and Frost are experts at finding the invasive weeds, and they enjoy their rewards of playing with a Frisbee or a ball. The handlers display teamwork as they efficiently search the various islands in the Snake River. Hannah and Seuss expertly check for mussels along the shores of Lake Winnipeg (in Canada). However, Hilo seems to have more trouble, as the handler can’t find the mussels he’s alerted on. Fagen and Dia search for lanternflies in New York, and in some ways, their task is more challenging than with the other dogs. Peat has only learned three scents, so a couple of pages share a bit about his training.

What didn’t work as well:

Looking for weeds, mollusks, and insects isn’t the most exciting topic, but descriptions of the dogs and their movements will appeal to young readers. Some people might want to know more about how these dogs learn to recognize smells, so there could have been more information regarding this subject. However, the book shares information about the detective dogs without getting burdened down with dry facts.

The final verdict:

Books about dogs are always interesting for young readers, and these dogs have special talents. The subject of invasive species may not be attractive, but learning about the dogs’ skills is interesting. I recommend you give this book a shot.