Iggy has a wonderful home, is well taken care of, and loves his family dearly. The Eastons love their dog Iggy and would do anything for him. The promise of a hurricane and ensuing destruction is enough to bring about some very difficult decisions for the Easton family. As they prepare to leave their home for the safety of a shelter, the family is faced with the reality that they will need to leave Iggy behind in as safe a situation as possible but alone in their home. Iggy tells readers his story of survival and a new start in this wonderful children’s book.

Iggy’s Second Chance, written by Patricia Paradiso and Laura DeAngelis and illustrated by Jeffrey Mora, contains some difficult realities in the form of a first-person narrative written from a dog’s perspective. Iggy finds himself wandering the streets looking for his family following a devastating hurricane. The authors have done a wonderful job of portraying the overwhelming destruction and the struggle faced by so many pets following natural disasters.

Iggy’s search for his family takes him through the very real progression of steps any pet would experience following a natural disaster. Readers are introduced to animal rescue, veterinary intervention, and pet adoption. All of my pets are rescues, so this book’s topic is close to my heart, and Paradiso and DeAngelis have done a superb job of creating a story that will touch readers. I feel the first-person point of view is an excellent way to bring home the seriousness of Iggy’s plight.

Iggy’s Second Chance, written by Patricia Paradiso and Laura DeAngelis and illustrated by Jeffrey Mora, is a beautiful story of one of the purest and most genuine types of love–owners and their precious pets. I highly recommend Paradiso and DeAngelis’s book to both teachers and families looking to further develop empathy in their young readers.

Pages: 38 | ISBN: 163755060X