Bob was an average-looking collie puppy in every way, except for his bobbed tail . . . and maybe that’s why the Brazier family named him Bob, or Bobbie. But he was average in no other way. In 1923, Bobbie joined Frank and Elizabeth Brazier for a cross-country drive from Silverton, Oregon, to Indiana, Frank’s home state, where they planned to visit family. During a stop in Indiana, Bobbie was chased off by loose dogs, and after a week of searching and placing newspaper ads, the broken-hearted Braziers had to give up and start the drive home. Six months to the day after he was lost in Indiana, a very thin Bobbie was spotted on a Silverton sidewalk, his coat matted, his paws raw from wear. Unbelievable as it seemed, the three-year-old dog had WALKED almost 2,800 miles to get back home. Though weak and tired, Bobbie went berserk with joy when he was reunited with his family, and from that day, all of their lives changed. In the weeks and months that followed, his story tore across the country in newspapers and even in a hardcover collection of pet stories. He was the main attraction at an Oregon home-builders convention in Portland, where thousands lined up to pet him, and he starred in a short feature film. Also, the Braziers eventually heard from people along Bobbie's homeward-bound route, places where he’d stopped long enough to recoup, and then he was gone again. These stories verified their thinking. Bobbie had done the impossible. When Bobbie died, he was buried in Portland, Oregon, by the Oregon Humane Society. Rin Tin-Tin was there to lay a wreath at his funeral, which was officiated by the mayor of Portland. This incredible story is all true, and the origins of Lassie Come Home are said to be traced to the story of Bob of Silverton, also known as Bobbie, the Wonder Dog, a Scotch collie mix.
Charlie loves to watch his relatives and friends get thrown high in the air during the traditional Inupiat blanket toss. But secretly, he's afraid to try it himself. At the Whaling Festival, he's ready to step up and overcome his fears. Warm humor and good energy fill the pages in this inspiring story while authentic details of Alaska Native life are shared to anchor the story in place. Glowing illustrations depict Charlie’s family and village friends as they prepare for the big celebration while action scenes capture the excitement and spirit of the Festival. Exhilarating moments are expressed in the text with fun to read aloud phrases that little ones will enjoy.
The patience of a little musk ox is sorely tried when he suffers an itch that he cant scratch. Theres not a tree in sightnothing to rub against for reliefso he wanders away from the herd looking for a branch, a rock pile, anything. On his journey, he meets with three individuals: a buffalo, a wolf, and a Native woman. Through his interaction with each one, he learns something new and affirming about himself before returning to the herd. Endnotes include information about how musk ox were native to Alaska until they were decimated by hunters in 1865, then reintroduced in the early 1930s; biological/behavioral details about the animals; and info about the cottage industry among Native villages in which women knit the qiviut (KIV-ee-oot), the rare underwool, into beautiful, warm garments. Learn more two-page section provides facts and information about the animal and about qiviut, the softest wool in the world which comes from musk ox.