Book Review: Remembering Vera (children's book, dog, California)

Remembering Vera, by Patricia Polacco (Simon & Schuster, 2017, 32 pages, $17.99, grades K-3, ages 4-8) Available at the Howard County, MD, Public Library System.

Although the large book size and the full-page illustrations lead one to believe that even beginning readers can read this book, DogEvals feels it needs to be read to young children due to the advanced vocabulary and the sheer number of words per page.

Now that we have that out of the way, Remembering Vera tells the true story of a stray puppy who grew up to save a shipload of humans, not once but twice!

At first having to live on a Coast Guard base in California surreptitiously, after the first heroic deed, the base commander confiscated Vera for his own, and made her an official mascot to spoil with steaks and vacations.

By coincidence, author Patricia Polacco met Vera in 1962 and also five years later at the Oakland SPCA and by a stroke of luck managed to find Vera’s final resting place on base 46 years later.

Vera, what an inspiring pup you were!