Animal Rescue Friends: Learning New Tricks

Gr 3-5–The “Animal Rescue Friends” series continues its heartwarming and endearing collection of animal stories, this time with the group of friends volunteering at a local shelter. Each story focuses on a different volunteer and type of animal, from a three-legged dog to a rat. Stories not only give tips on animal care but also demonstrate important social skills, such as how to work well with others. In Mikey’s story, for example, he feels left out of the chore rotation at the shelter until he’s able to show his skillset by speaking Spanish to an ESL family, demonstrating his problem-solving abilities with them. The artwork feels reminiscent of Raina Telgemeier, with cartoonstyle character designs and big, happy facial expressions that blend well with the upbeat tone of the overall piece.