Customer Reviews

Stickeen: John Muir and the Brave Little Dog

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Besides being a beautiful book to look at, this lively account of John Muir's glacial wanderings with his loyal four-legged companion, Stickeen, is an artfully presented, exciting read! Dog lovers, nature lovers, and all adventurers at heart are sure to enjoy following these two on their perilous journey across the ice.

My 4 1/2 year old son loves this story. He seems to feel the same tension and then exuberance experienced by the little dog facing a daunting maneuver. I love the story and pictures as well,especially as a change from the fire truck, dinosaur and baseball books that we usually read. It is one of the longest stories he listens to intently. Highly recommended

I love this book. It is very educational,too. The best part was when Stickeen crosses the ice bridge.The way Donnell Rubay puts the words together,leaves you in suspense.

I have just read three versions of this story and this one is by far the best for little kids. Donnell Rubay's rewriting of Muir's story makes the story exciting and clear for young children, and the fantastic illustrations by Christopher Canyon enhance the drama. The version published in 1990 includes the original text by John Muir, which is interesting to an adult, but too hard for a child, and excellent but too few black and white illustrations. I doubt a preschooler would stay interested. The version published in 2004 includes Muir's text rewritten by Julie Dunlap and Marybeth Lorbiecki with illustrations by Bill Farnsworth. Both text and pictures are ok, but lack the drama of the wonderful 1998 Rubay/Canyon book.

"STICKEEN" is the name of 'the brave little dog,' center of this story. He accompanied John Muir during exploration of Alaska's Taylor Glacier in 1880. The two shared a remarkable adventure and it could be said that both possessed high ideals as well as adventurous spirits. Although Muir had been LOANED the dog, they went on to explore another glacier later named for John Muir, long-known as a respected naturalist-author.

You will find the illustrations by Christopher Canyon to be striking with masses of blue ice - - startling or even 'beyond belief'. They graphically show the dangerous precipices and ice bridge conquered by the two brave explorers.

With greatest admiration Reviewer mcHAIKU reminds readers that Muir was the primary inspiration for the environmental movement in this country; she recommends this story - - to be read by ALL ages - - TOGETHER!

Reviewed by Cayden Aures (age 6.5) for Reader Views (4/11)

This book is about an explorer whose name is John Muir. I didn't know who he was but I know that there is a school by us that has his name on it. The book is called "Stickeen" because that is the dog's name that goes with him.

In the beginning it says that it is a true story. This book happened way back in 1880. That was a long time ago. He was exploring on glaciers and he took the dog named Stickeen with him. It was very dangerous going on the glaciers because there were big crevasses in them that they could fall down. I didn't know if they were going to make it across or not.

My favorite picture in "Stickeen: John Muir and the Brave Little Dog" is the one of the skinny ice bridge that they had to go across. That was the one Stickeen was scared of. I liked reading this book about their adventure together.

Book received free of charge

I enjoyed this book. It was a good, warm book between a human and a dog. I like dogs!

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

Having read of Stickeen in detail in another John Muir book, I decided to buy this for my grandchidren.
They absolutely loved it in all respects. It will be passed on thru family as an insight as to just how much we can gain from animals freindship.
Tears welled from my eyes while I read the full story of this incredibly brave dog, knowing he would surely die if he failed his masters footsteps.
Kiwi hunter

John Muir's original account of his experience with this dog (in his Travels with Alaska, and separately published 10 or 20 years ago) simply cried out to be retold for children and illustrated in a picture book. Thankfully, Rubay and Canyon have done the two things brilliantly. Rubay's text is a gentle reduction of Muir's own words, preserving his own 19th century phrasings and terms such as chasm, crystal, crevasse, and ice bridge so that their meaning is clear. And Canyon's 25 paintings are fabulously true to life depictions of the Alaskan wilderness in snow and storm, yet each one moves the story. Like all great children's books, it's one the parent wants to read as often as the child wants it read. A book that truly deserves a place in every classroom and on every child's shelf.

This wonderfully illustrated book tells a simple story of a great man and a very courageous dog he knew in Alaska. I suggest this title for all dog lovers, no matter what their ages. Note: Amazon lists the reading level as 4-8 years, and I believe that four year olds can certainly listen to the story, but the independent reading level would be much higher. Don't miss it, though. You will always remember Stickeen. He and John Muir were certainly brave out on that glacier!