Books with author Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

When the news of the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound broke, the SEAL team member that stole the show was a highly trained canine companion. Throughout history, dogs have been key contributors to military units. Dorothy Hinshaw Patent follows man's best friend onto the battlefield, showing readers why dogs are uniquely qualified for the job at hand, how they are trained, how they contribute to missions, and what happens when they retire. With full-color photographs throughout and sidebars featuring heroic canines throughout history, Dogs on Duty provides a fascinating look at these exceptional soldiers and companions.

Ira was not born to be an ordinary dog. A few weeks after his birth, a foster puppy trainer with PawsAbilities, Canine Partners for People with Disabilities, took him home to begin his training as a Service Dog. Service dogs help people who have a lot of difficulty moving around on their own. To become one, Ira must learn how to retrieve dropped keys; press a wheelchair sign to open doors; ride a bus; sit quietly in loud, distracting places; and do many other difficult tasks. Not many dogs can do all that! Fortunately, Ira is smart and confident, and he is able to pass his Service Dog test. Unfortunately, the new facility that Ira needs to attend for more detailed training isn't ready. What will happen to Ira? Will he be able to learn a new career as a Guide Dog for the Blind?-This true story shows the immense impact service and guide dogs have on the lives of the disabled, and what it takes for them to have that impact.- Adorable, full-color photographs bring children into Ira's life and let them connect with him in a very personal way.- See how sixth graders helped train Ira, and hear how they felt about the experience.

In this addition to the critically acclaimed Scientist in the Field series, Dorothy Patent follows the scientists trying to put a stop to a gruesome disease before it’s too late. Tasmanian devils are dying at an alarming rate from a type of tumor that appears to be contagious. What scientists are learning while researching the Tasmanian devil has potential to affect all animals, and even humans, as they learn more about how to prevent and hopefully eradicate certain genetic diseases. In 1995, a deadly disease began sweeping across the Australian island state of Tasmania, killing every infected Tasmanian devil. The disease moved so fast that some scientists feared the species would be wiped out in the wild within a few decades. Where did this disease, named Devil Facial Tumor Disease, come from? What caused it—a virus, bacteria, or something else? How did it pass from one devil to another? What could be done to fight it? When author Dorothy Hinshaw Patent learned of the race to save the devil from her friend, Australian geneticist Jenny Graves, she felt compelled to travel to Australia to learn firsthand from scientists what they were finding out about these iconic Tasmanian animals and what they were doing to help it from disappearing in the wild. Follow Dorothy as she takes readers on a fascinating journey into the Australian mainland and Tasmania, visiting parks and wildlife refuges and joining geneticist, ecologists, and other researchers as they work tirelessly to save Tasmania’s unique icon.

In this addition to the critically acclaimed Scientist in the Field series, Dorothy Patent follows the scientists trying to put a stop to a gruesome disease before it’s too late. Tasmanian devils are dying at an alarming rate from a type of tumor that appears to be contagious. What scientists are learning while researching the Tasmanian devil has potential to affect all animals, and even humans, as they learn more about how to prevent and hopefully eradicate certain genetic diseases. In 1995, a deadly disease began sweeping across the Australian island state of Tasmania, killing every infected Tasmanian devil. The disease moved so fast that some scientists feared the species would be wiped out in the wild within a few decades. Where did this disease, named Devil Facial Tumor Disease, come from? What caused it—a virus, bacteria, or something else? How did it pass from one devil to another? What could be done to fight it? When author Dorothy Hinshaw Patent learned of the race to save the devil from her friend, Australian geneticist Jenny Graves, she felt compelled to travel to Australia to learn firsthand from scientists what they were finding out about these iconic Tasmanian animals and what they were doing to help it from disappearing in the wild. Follow Dorothy as she takes readers on a fascinating journey into the Australian mainland and Tasmania, visiting parks and wildlife refuges and joining geneticist, ecologists, and other researchers as they work tirelessly to save Tasmania’s unique icon.

A dog's nose is 300 times more powerful than a human nose, so it's no wonder that dogs use their incredibly advanced sense of smell to do some very important jobs. Dorothy Hinshaw Patent explores the various ways specific dogs have put their super sniffing ability to use: from bedbug sniffers to explosive detectors to life-saving allergy detectors . . . and more. This dynamic photo-essay includes first-hand accounts from the people who work closely with these amazing dogs.

When the news of the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound broke, the SEAL team member that stole the show was a highly trained canine companion. Throughout history, dogs have been key contributors to military units. Dorothy Hinshaw Patent follows man's best friend onto the battlefield, showing readers why dogs are uniquely qualified for the job at hand, how they are trained, how they contribute to missions, and what happens when they retire. With full-color photographs throughout and sidebars featuring heroic canines throughout history, Dogs on Duty provides a fascinating look at these exceptional soldiers and companions.

What's it like to be a wolf living in the wilds off her own wits and strength? You can find out by reading "Return of the Wolf," an authentic account of how wolves hunt their prey, create their packs, and raise their pups, living and dying as they have for thousands of years. Dorothy Hinshaw Patent's first-hand knowledge of wolves, gained by helping raise a litter of wolf pups in captivity, taking long walks in the woods with a captive wolf named Koani, and observing wild wolves in Alaska and Yellowstone, creates a dramatic and compelling story completely from the wolf's point of view.Written by an award-winning author of books for young people and adults and originally published by Clarion Books in 1995 in an illustrated version, this book popular with readers and librarians has been out of print for several years but is now available for Kindle.School Library Journal wrote in a review, "Patent offers such close-up natural descriptions and keen observations that readers will feel as though they were in the wild...A wonderful read-aloud." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books' review said, "The writing is brisk and direct, finding a narrative line without imposing an unnatural plot."Dorothy was able to write from the wolves' point of view because of her extensive personal experience with wolves, both captive and in the wild, while writing nonfiction books such as "Gray Wolf, Red Wolf" (Clarion Books), and "Dogs: The Wolf Within" (Lerner Books).Here's a plot summary:Driven away by her packmates, Sedra, a young female wolf, settles down in completely new territory. There she meets Jasper, a young male wolf also in search of a home. Sedra and Jasper hunt, play, learn their territory, and, with the coming of spring, begin a family—a new wolf pack. Dorothy Hinshaw Patent draws on her extensive knowledge of wolf behavior, based on first-hand observation as well as the scientific literature to create a dramatic story told completely from the wolf’s point of view. Realistic and quick-paced, Return of the Wolf provides fascinating details of the animals’ communication, wolf pups’ birth and training, and the wolves’ struggles to overcome obstacles and survive.but is now available from Kindle.