Togo by Robert J. Blake

Many readers already know the story of Balto, the Alaskan sled dog who in 1925 ran a shipment of serum 53 miles to stop a diptheria outbreak in the city of Nome, AK. The arrival of that serum saved most of the city's population. But there was another sled dog who led a different team that carried that same serum 350 miles before Balto picked it up for the last leg. In this simply told and gripping book, Blake tells Togo’s story, starting with his indomitable spirit as an incorrigible, if undersized puppy, who refuses to be left behind. When Seppala is asked to be part of the emergency relay to deliver the serum, Togo leads the pack with his perseverance and every ounce of strength he could muster. Illustrated with impressionistic paintings and a palate of icy blues and dusky grays, the blurred colors of Blake’s pictures convey the harsh and frigid environment of the Arctic region as much as the hunched backs and lowered heads of the sled dogs, and impress upon the reader the true challenge that Togo and the other dogs faced. A short epilogue adds what happened to Togo after the serum run. The story is inspirational and the oil paint illustrations are captivating. Plus, who doesn’t like a good dog story?

Awards: Texas Bluebonnet Award 2005, Nebraska Golden Sower Award, Washington State Children’s Choice Award, Michigan Great Lakes Book Award

"Many people feel that Togo is an unsung hero, and so will readers, who will feel the terrible cold depicted chillingly in Blake's paintings. The urgency and desperation come across clearly in both the dramatic text and the full-page impressionistic paintings. The dogs are not anthropomorphized, but their expressions are haunting." - School Library Journal

"Blake's arresting oil paintings add greatly to the well-told tale, capturing the personality of the special dog. Some paintings show panoramic snow-covered vistas, others show the dogs in action, with thick white strokes of paint often representing the falling snow. A map on the endpapers enables the reader to follow the progress of the rescue mission, which they will—breathlessly." - Kirkus Reviews