Nicky the Swamp Dog: A True Story [Hardcover]

Jacklyn Sonnier Hirshberg (Author), D. Ray Guillory (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Nicky The Swamp Dog is the true story of an amazing little dog (Rat Terrier) that finds a home with a swamp guide in the Atchafalaya River Basin in southern Louisiana. She grows up to be an accomplished scout, retriever and “assistant swamp guide,” befriending children and adults on swamp tours.

Like her master, Nicky rescues and nurtures injured or lost animals, including beavers, nutria, ducklings, owls and even baby alligators. They bring these little critters back to the houseboat, feed them, shelter them, and nurse them back to health. Then, when they are well, they release them back into the wilds.

The story is lavishly illustrated with color photography of Nicky and her friends, both animal and human, as well as the swamp environment in which they live. The book is suited for children Third Grade and higher, as well as anyone who enjoys nice nature photography.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-Southern Louisiana's Atchafalaya River Basin is home to many swamp guides, and this book tells the story of one of them and his unique canine assistant. Nicky goes out with Guillory on his boat and helps entertain customers. She also plays a big role in helping rescue and nurture a wide variety of lost and injured animals. This "biography" begins with Nicky's adoption as a puppy by her master and details many of her adventures by providing anecdotes about her life, especially about her interaction with other swamp creatures. Unfortunately, finding a target audience for the book may be difficult. It's a very simple story with appeal for younger readers, but its intrinsic charm is greatly overwhelmed by the ornate writing style. The text is filled with extensive descriptions and dialogue that detract from the story's sense of immediacy, and much of Nicky's appeal gets buried in the narrative. Guillory's color photos are a nice accompaniment to the text. This offering might have slight appeal to kids living in the region, and die-hard animal fans might have some interest, but the sophisticated writing and text-heavy look will probably keep it from a wider audience.-Arwen Marshall, formerly at New York Public Library

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

About the Author:

JACKLYN SONNIER HIRSHBERG is an anthropologist who studied at the University of Houston, focusing on the culture of Native American Indians. After living in Houston for 25 years, she returned to her hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, and was introduced to the nearby Atchafalaya River Basin, which she now considers “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” A tour of the swamp with guide D. Ray “Half Pint” Guillory in the summer of 1997 developed into a two-year course of learning about the basin and the variety of wildlife which inhabits this vast semi-wilderness area. Nicky The Swamp Dog is the first book Ms. Hirshberg has authored.

About the Photographer:

D. RAY “HALF PINT” GUILLORY is a swamp guide who lives with his dog, Nicky, in a houseboat in the Atchafalaya River Basin near Henderson, Louisiana. He got his nickname, “Half Pint,” only because he was smaller than his brother. Born in Orange, Texas, in 1950, he spent his childhood roaming the wooded areas, rice fields and swamps near his home. Feeling right at home in the great outdoors, he became a self-taught naturalist and photographer. After living in the wilderness of southeast Texas for two decades, he moved to the Atchafalaya swamp in the mid-1980s. Operating under the banner of “Half Pint’s Small Boat Swamp Adventures,” he has taken visitors from all over the world into the swamp to show them an environment such as they had never seen before. He trained Nicky to help entertain visitors to the swamp; he also taught her to rescue lost or injured animals. He considers his little swamp dog to be his best friend.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Acadian House Pub (December 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 092541736X
• ISBN-13: 978-0925417367
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,523,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why I love Nicky the swamp dog, April 10, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Nicky the Swamp Dog: A True Story (Hardcover)

Nicky the Swamp dog is one of the best books I have read about a dog that does wonderful things. I do not like the review by the person from new York who says it has too many words as she or he is wrong. The book is the talk at my schooland many others in Louisiana but maybe the lady from New York just does not get it.Too bad, because it is GREAT!!!!!! Also many people from other places like California and Vermont love it too because I sent them one.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Love the Book, the Dog, and the Photographer, November 13, 2001

By 

Sarah Johnson (Breaux Bridge, LA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nicky the Swamp Dog: A True Story (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book full of things the children need to learn. In this day and age most children don't appreciate the enviornment and the animals that live in it. This book teaches that. This books teaches you to be kind to animals, yet respect them. I met Nicky and Half Pint (D. Ray Guillory) about a year ago and they have become some of my closet friends. They have taught me about the swamp and the animals that live in it. I am a 23 year old woman that will take this book and the experience with me for the rest of my life. I have bought this book for almost everyone I know. I have also brought many of my family and friends to the swamp to meet this famous dog and her best friend, Half Pint. They have been a wonderful new part of my life and I hope you can also be as lucky as I have been to read the book and take the adventure.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Little Nicky, November 2, 2008

By 

the contented cat - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nicky the Swamp Dog: A True Story (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book. It is light reading. The bond with Nicky and his owner is strong. Very nice large color photos of Nicky on his romps in the swamp. A cute story for all animal lovers.