Books
An edge-of-your-seat adventure story, based on a true story, for the very young -- with a text that also works beautifully as a beginning reader for older children. Onlookers along the banks of the Vistula River one cold, cold day in Poland see a little dog adrift on a sheet of ice, heading for open sea. Night passes, then another day; finally, fifteen miles from shore and seventy-five miles from journey’s start, he is spotted by the crew of the research vessel Baltica and, with significant effort, rescued. Simple yet dramatic watercolor illustrations effectively convey the wintry setting; the ice-chocked, freezing water; and Dog’s emotions, bewildered and forlorn on the ice, cheerful and contented after his rescue and adoption. The economical text is hyper-engaging. A straightforward descriptive narration (“Dog is wet and tired and hungry. And he is scared”) occasionally switches to the voice of an emotionally involved onlooker (“Don’t be scared, Dog! A ship is coming!”; “Dog slips. He falls into the water. Oh no! Where is Dog?”), as if the text itself finds the story too exciting to maintain objectivity. An afterword fills in some gaps, with more details of the actual rescue and its happy aftermath. (Martha V. Parravano)
Based on real events in the cold Polish winter of 2010, this picture book follows an unlucky dog stuck on an ice floe in the wide, fast moving river that’s taking him out to the Baltic Sea. Though firefighters from the nearby town try to help him, the river’s current is too swift; he’s spotted again, days later, by a ship at sea, and the determined crew eventually manages to save the exhausted pup, who then becomes the ship’s mascot. It’s a compact and satisfying story, and Carnesi writes with a simple immediacy that suggests the exclamations of a witness to the event (“Something is moving in the water! What is it?”), focusing on the action and largely letting the events provide their own emotional impact. The line-and-watercolor illustrations have a homey appeal, with the figures’ poses more telling than their simple dot-eyed faces wrapped up in hats and scarves against the cold. Varied compositions deftly avoid boring similarity as they convey the duration of the pooch’s voyage, but the brooding and seemingly inescapable slate blue waters are sufficiently ominous that the transition to a bright ship’s interior is a visual relief as well. With its gripping plot and simple text, this has natural early reader possibilities as well as readaloud merits, and it’ll be a treat for kids looking for an international dog story to counterbalance the melancholy of Hachiko. A concluding note summarizes the actual event and includes photos of Baltic both on his ice floe and after his rescue. DS.
A terrifying adventure set against an icy backdrop turns into a heartwarming tale of one canine’s remarkable courage and resilience.
This sweet picture book recounts the amazing true tale of a dog discovered floating on an ice floe on the Vistula River off Poland in January 2010. No one knows where the animal comes from or how it has found itself in this predicament. Trapped it is, however, as it drifts 75 miles downriver for two days, defying rescue attempts. Finally, a scientific vessel, the R/V Baltica, spots the freezing, sodden, starving animal, and a crewman saves it, not without considerable difficulty. After recovering, the dog is nicknamed “Baltic,” and it remains aboard to become a beloved, valued crew member. The story is told simply and charmingly. The author’s use of the present tense gives the narrative immediacy, and with very brief sentences, some dialogue and questions posed to readers, Carnesi imbues the tale with a strong sense of drama that will captivate young listeners. Her ink-and-watercolor illustrations are child-appealing and effectively capture the dog’s desperation and eventual contentment. An author’s note with accompanying photographs places events in context and brings the story to a very satisfying conclusion.
This lost little dog will easily find a place in children’s hearts. (Informational picture book. 3-5)
The New York Times Book Review
Inspired by a true story Carnesi heard on NPR, this small-scale book tells the harrowing story of a dog who inadvertently boarded an ice floe on the Vistula River in Poland and drifted out to the Baltic Sea. Children will whimper in commiseration with the poor chilled creature as various attempts at rescue fail. In this debut, Carnesi conveys the immensity of the scenery as well as the intimacy of the dog’s tale. And the fear abates with the story’s reassuringly warm and cozy ending.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3–This child-friendly account of a January 2010 dog rescue in the Baltic Sea will appeal to readers on many levels. Youngsters playing in the snow on the banks of the Vistula River were the first to sight the vulnerable canine stranded on an ice floe. Firefighters were summoned, but their attempted rescue failed, and the imperiled pup floated out to sea. “Dog’s thick fur keeps him warm./But Dog is wet and tired and hungry./And he is scared./Don’t be scared, Dog!” Luckily, the crew of a research vessel spotted him two days later. Though several efforts failed, causing the pup to fall into the water, he was finally saved by a crew member in a small pontoon. The crew adopted him and named him “Baltic.” The book presents a clear problem and gratifying solution in simple, engaging language coupled with appealing watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations; it is an excellent choice for read-alouds. The little brown-and-white protagonist looks vulnerable and pathetic in the water, so small, exhausted, and alone. The artwork is varied and interesting–an otherwise neatly framed picture of the rescuer embracing his new pet depicts him kneeling out of the bottom frame, giving readers the feeling of being in the room with them. Some of the images are shaped like an iceberg and set against a white background. An author’s note includes background and color photographs of the real Baltic.–Barbara Auerbach, PS 217, Brooklyn, NY
Debut author/illustrator Carnesi’s cartoon-styled watercolors and spare text provide a suspenseful yet reassuring account of the real-life rescue of a dog that was swept out into the Baltic Sea on an ice floe in January 2010. Direct, almost halting snippets of narration bring readers in close to the action: “Something is moving in the water! What is it? Is it a bird? No. A fish? No. It’s a DOG!” Modest illustrations in a limited and muted palette of blue, white, red, and brown take audiences right up to the river’s edge to squint at the small figure stranded far out on an ice sheet. The next spread zeroes in on a closeup of the confused canine. The artwork’s perspective continually shifts, giving the tale a cinematic frame-by-frame quality, before settling aboard the Polish ship, the Baltica, that finally rescues the dog. Warm and dry, the dog is christened Baltic, eventually becoming a member of the research vessel’s crew. The book’s small trim size complements the cozy, feel-good conclusion. More details and photographs of Baltic are included in an author’s note. Ages 3–5.
Booklist
This dramatized version of a true story involves a little brown dog that was spotted in 2010 floating on a chunk of iceberg down Poland’s Vistula River toward the Baltic Sea. Children summon firefighters, and a human chain is made to try to save the animal, but the current pulls too quickly. Night comes but yet the mutt survives: “Dog’s thick fur keeps him warm. But Dog is wet and tired and hungry. And he is scared. Don’t be scared, Dog!” Finally a research vessel spots the dog and, despite a tense moment when the Dog slips into the water, succeeds in bringing him aboard, where, to this day, he remains a happy crew member. Though delivered simply, this tale is intrinsically powerful -- kids know how slippery ice can be, and Dog’s loneliness and helplessness is similarly relatable. Carnesi’s soft, comforting watercolors make great use of wide tableaux of tiny Dog almost lost among the huge sea of blue water and white icebergs. A short but informative author’s note closes out this inspirational, heart-tugging offering.--Daniel Kraus
Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a Brave Dog Named Baltic
Nancy Paulsen Books | Penguin Group for Young Readers
January 5, 2012
ISBN: 9780399256660
Available now at your local Indie Bookstore, Amazon or Barnes and Noble
Watch a clip of Baltic’s amazing rescue here.