The Adventures of Salt and Soap at Grand Canyon
Grade 2–4—Salt and Soap were just puppies when they were found by two National Park Service rangers at the rim of the Grand Canyon. Undaunted, the dogs followed the workers into the canyon and stayed the night with them. They followed other rangers back up, only to return the next day. Then some white-water rafters took them aboard. After traveling 80 miles down river, the puppies eventually made it to a ranger station where they were taken in as "lost and found" items. Salt and Soap later rode aboard a Park service helicopter out of the canyon and were adopted by the author, a ranger. While the story is interesting, the present-tense writing reads somewhat awkwardly, and the font is small and occasionally crowded. The bright, detailed acrylic illustrations feature realistic landscapes, but many of the characters (human and animal) appear somewhat distorted, having disproportionately large noses, ears, lips, and/or eyes. This tale will be of regional interest, but it's an additional purchase elsewhere.—Lisa Crandall, formerly at Capital Area District Library, Holt, MIEND