Rosco the Rascal In the Land of Snow

by Shana Gorian, Josh Addessi (Illustrator), Ros Webb (Illustrator)

Overview

Rosco the rascally German shepherd has never seen snow before. Now he'll get the chance to romp around in a snow-covered world high in the mountains. But trouble seems to find Rosco wherever he goes. Will his curious nature spoil the weekend for James and Mandy, or will it save the day?

This second adventure in the Rosco the Rascal series will keep readers guessing from the start. Fifth grader James and his second grade sister, Mandy, are building snowmen and sled riding down steep hills, enjoying the fresh powder created by an overnight blizzard on their wintry family vacation. Amidst the fun, they don’t realize that a coyote pup, lost and frightened, has been poking around their cabin in the snow, although they’ve uncovered perplexing clues. It’s Rosco, with his powerful canine senses, who discovers the identity of the wild creature first, but he can’t communicate it to his human pals, so he sets out on his own to make things right.

When the kids finally unravel the mystery, it’s almost too late to rescue the poor creature, which has become caught in a hunter’s trap. It’s up to brother and sister to use their wits in a sticky situation, yet trust their rascal-turned-hero dog to help. But will they be able to free the pup and still make it out alive, themselves?

This action-packed story works well as a winter read-aloud for educators and parents, alike, with many teachable moments that lend themselves to discussion. Black and white interior illustrations add interest for even the youngest of readers. Realistic characters and detailed descriptions put the reader squarely in the center of the book’s mountain top setting, and take the reader on a lively, contemporary, heart-pounding journey.

All books in the series are standalone and can be read in any order. Fans of The Magic Tree House series will love this brother and sister pair, and fans of classic, heroic dogs - from Lassie to Beethoven - will love Rosco.

*Recommended for children ages 6-10

*Grade level K-5th

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780692060032
Publisher:	Shana Gorian, author
Publication date:	03/02/2018
Series:	Rosco the Rascal , #2
Pages:	114
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.44(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Shana Gorian is the author of the Rosco the Rascal series, chapter books for kids 6+ in which a sometimes rascally but always lovable German shepherd uses his steadfast heroic nature to help his pals, brother and sister James and Mandy, find adventure and overcome obstacles. Shana grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and currently lives in Southern California with her husband, two children, and the real Rosco the Rascal - her fun-loving German shepherd who constantly inspires new stories. She is always working on more books in the series. Visit her at shanagorian.com for more information.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

1. What’s That?

2. Cabin in the Woods

3. A Blizzard?

4. All That Snow

5. Bacon and Waffles

6. Snow Dog

7. Tug-of-War

8. A Huff and a Howl

9. The Snowman

10. Guilty Party

11. Let’s Go Sledding

12. Flying Saucer

13. No Going Back

14. Carried Away

15. Don’t Move

16. Nearly Speechless

17. Snowball Fight

Note: Never approach animals in the wild! They can be very dangerous. This is a story of fiction and children should always stay away from wild animals.

About The Author & Illustrators

Shana Gorian, originally from western Pennsylvania, lives in Southern California with her husband and two children, and the real Rosco, their German shepherd. She and her family visit the mountains every winter in search of the perfect sledding hill.

Ros Webb is an artist based in Ireland. She has produced a multitude of work for books, digital books and websites. Samples of her art can be seen on https://www.facebook.com/TheChildrensBookIllustrator/.

Josh Addessi is a quirky illustrator and animation professor based in Northwest Indiana. He has digitally painted all manner of book covers, stage backdrops and trading cards. Samples of his art can be seen at http://joshaddessi.blogspot.com/

Victoria March is an illustrator and 3D sculptor. She aied in painting this book cover. Samples of her art can be seen at https://www.artstation.com/artist/victoriamarch

The real Rosco is every bit as loveable and rascally as the fictional Rosco. He loves to catch snowballs in his mouth, too.

Editorial Reviews

"A fine choice for newly independent and reluctant readers, featuring good-natured characters, a well-intentioned mutt, and an outdoor rescue mission." - Kirkus Reviews

"The fictitious family is a great role model, and the children model forgiveness in a powerful way.” - Amazon review



"The book is filled with light suspense as young readers attempt to guess the identity of the mystery animal." - Amazon review



"I have seen so many books that I would not let a teen read recommended for children and then I have my faith renewed when an author comes along and writes a very appropriate book for small children. This is a really wonderful read for all children." - Amazon review



"a well-crafted, character driven story" - Amazon review

From the Publisher

2018-04-24
A young German shepherd and his human family bound into snowy adventure in the second chapter book in Gorian's (Rosco the Rascal Visits the Pumpkin Patch, 2014) series, with illustrations by Webb (Beautiful Brown, 2018, etc.).Rosco, a 2-year-old dog, is full of exuberant, youthful energy; although he's full grown, he's still learning how to behave like his family wants. When they all travel into the mountains for a vacation, Rosco can't help making mistakes: He ruins second-grader Mandy's perfect snow angel; leaves paw prints all over her and fifth-grader James' snowman (and steals its carrot nose); and accidentally drags Mandy down a sledding hill at a frightening speed. But when the kids stumble upon an angry mother coyote that's trying to rescue her pup from a trap, Rosco stands between them and danger. The narrative shows the vacation from the perspectives of various characters, including Rosco himself, and offers details of potentially unfamiliar tasks, such as putting on snow tires. The Caucasian kids get along better than most fictional siblings; they're well-behaved and hardly argue. Webb's black-and-white images are spaced frequently enough to comfort independent readers who might be intimidated by books without any pictures. Their quality, though, is a bit uneven, and some feel unfinished, such as a hard-lined image of the coyote mother. The language is perfunctory rather than artful, but Gorian writes in a concise, simple style that budding readers will find accessible.A fine choice for newly independent and reluctant readers, featuring good-natured characters, a well-intentioned mutt, and an outdoor rescue mission.

Kirkus Reviews