A compelling account, told in easy-to-read format, of Balto, a sled dog who led his team through snow and ice over 53 miles of northern Alaska wilderness to deliver some medicine. The story is based on an actual event that occurred in 1925 during an outbreak of diptheria, when the closest medicine was 800 miles away in Anchorage. When the train bearing the important cargo became buried in the snow still 700 miles from its destination, a dog sled relay was used. Cook’s softly colored illustrations are expressive and enhance the drama of the story–a proud and heroic story that young readers are sure to enjoy.
