(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Hohn. When Maryland's chief apiary inspector, Cybil Preston, needed help checking hundreds of beehives each year for foulbrood, a disease deadly to bees, she adopts a dog named Mack and trains him in scent detection. Gibeault’s text nicely balances details about beekeeping and dog training with plenty of action and emotional appeal. Hohn’s soft illustrations in an earthy palette bring dog Mack’s lovable, if at first unruly, personality to life. Informative back matter about these real-life heroes and a bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter