Heroes of Isle aux Morts by Alice Walsh

Heroes of Isle aux Morts, written by Alice Walsh and illustrated by Geoff Butler, tells the true story of how a Newfoundland dog helped save the passengers of a ship that went aground on the rocks near Isle aux Morts, Newfoundland, in 1832.  I had never heard this story before.  Anna was captivated by it.  The story is told with just the right amount of words and the illustrations make the words come to life.

Though both Alice Walsh and Geoff Butler now live in Nova Scotia, they both grew up in Newfoundland.  That, and the fact that the story is set in Newfoundland, are the reasons for my including the book in the Newfoundland author/illustrations section rather than the Canadian section.

This is a wonderful book to read simply for the nice story to younger children, but it could also be used as a jump of point for some great social studies learning with older children.  I definitely see us coming back to this book again.

I'm so glad that I found Heroes of Isle aux Morts in our local library.  It is a book worth checking out.