Review: Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale

Author: Robert J. McCarty
Illustrator: Stella Mustanoja McCarty
Rating: 4/5
Grade: A - All ages (I would recommend for ages 5-12)

First of all I would like to thank the author, Robert McCarty, for sending me a copy of this delightful book. To find out more about the author and books visit the Planet of the Dogs website.For more information also visit their blog: Barking Planet Children's Books.

Snow Valley Heroes is the third volume of the Planet of The Dogs books. I have not read the first two books, but this book is able to stand on its own. The beginning of the book explains what the books are about:

"Long, Long ago there were no dogs on planet earth. In those days dogs lived on their own planet in peace and happiness.

The Planet of the Dogs series of books tells the stories of how dogs first came to our planet. They came to teach people about loyalty and love, and to help them find peace. "

In Snow Valley Heroes the dogs have a great and important challenge.
The King of the North, full of revenge and hatred for having been banished
to the ice castle, has stolen two of Santa's reindeer. His goal: ruin
Christmas for everyone. The dogs, on their own planet, are alerted to this near tragedy, and send down a group of dogs from their own Snow Valley, who are used to the snow and the cold, to deal with the situation.

This was a great story. It has much going for it: Christmas that needs saving; dog heroes working with humans to achieve a peaceful resolution to conflict; great names and customs of the northern tribe of people who live near Santa's village; an icy and cruel heart which is melted by the kindness, love, and companionship of dogs; wonderful soft drawings, capturing the spirit of the dogs and the landscape perfectly; and even a map in the beginning to help visualization of this land.

I very much enjoyed the adventure and spirit of this book, and plan on adding it to our list of Christmas books read each year to help us get in the spirit of the holidays. While this book had many great lessons to teach, they were so buried in the plot and excitement of the story, that they did not come out preachy or off putting. I recommend this book to children and dog lovers alike