Nubs: The True Story of a Marine, a Mutt and a Miracle
by
Maj. Brian Dennis, Mary Nethery and Kirby Larson
Children's nonfiction, ages 5-10.
After reading about Bobbie and Bob Cat in Kirby Larson's "Two Bobbies" I saw that she published another heart rendering tale of a canine overcoming adversity.
Nubs is one of many stray, starving dogs in Iraq. He lives on the fringes of an army camp begging for food. Nubs, unlike many of the other dogs, likes people. In particular he likes Major Dennis. Marines aren't allowed to own dogs while on combat duty, so Dennis leaves Nubs behind each time he moves out. Nubs waits for him over and over. The last time, however, Nubs can not stand to be parted from Dennis again so he follows him across the desert for 70 miles. What loyalty! Dennis knows he can't abandon Nubs again, so he sees what he can do to get Nubs a better home.
This is a good enough book, but "Two Bobbies" was better because Bobbie was a life saver. Nubs is cute and all, but he doesn't put out any fires or save Timmy from a well or anything.
This book relies on graphics and photographs. "Two Bobbies" had illustrations. Again, I think "Two Bobbies" was better visually.
You can read a lot more about this story by using any search engine. Here is one report.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33585208/
I also read on the internet that they are planning a movie based on this story. Surely there are some stories about drug or bomb sniffing dogs that would be better? I would rather see a movie about the dogs that helped find people in the post 9-11 wreckage.
