Greetings from the Great Bend Public Library. I’m excited to announce that our fall catalog is now out and ready for you to peruse. Check out our catalog for all of our library events from September through November. We have some really fun stuff coming up like making banned book buttons, All Hallows’ Read, trivia nights, and more. Grab a catalog and start marking the date on your calendar right now!
There are no special events at the library this week. Luckily for me, however, that means it’s time for book recommendations. August happens to be National Dog Month, which is fitting since I just adopted a new puppy myself. She’s a basset hound mix and, yes, she’s the cutest. With that in mind, and International Dog Day coming up on August 26th, let’s talk about some amazing dogs and books about them.
First, I want to talk about a very special dog named Hachiko (or Hachi for short), a famous dog you may have heard of. There is a statue in honor of the Akitainu in question in Shibuya, Japan. The story of Hachiko is the story of a dog’s amazing love and loyalty. We have in our collection two books and a film about Hachiko and his amazing life that you can watch, including “Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog,” written by Pamela S. Turner and illustrated by Yan Nascimbene; “Hachiko Waits,” written by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Machiyo Kodaira; and the film “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale.” All three tell the life of the legendary Hachiko, who became a national symbol of loyalty and devotion. Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor at the University of Tokyo, adopted Hachi in 1923. Ueno took the train to work every day from Shibuya Station, where Hachi would wait for his master every day and go home with him. They did this until the professor’s untimely death in 1925, who died of a cerebral hemorrhage while at work. That day, Hachi came to the station as usual and waited for his master, who was sadly never to leave the train again. In a show of his immense loyalty to his master, Hachi waited for Ueno’s return. He showed up at the station on time for the train’s arrival and stayed non-stop for ten long years until he died in 1935. Despite several attempts by people at the station, Hachi refused to leave his post and eventually became an institution of the station, taken care of by the entire community. It is truly a remarkable story about an amazing dog.
The next dog never got the recognition he deserved in life, but hopefully we can give him some now because he and his owner did something truly remarkable. You’ve probably heard of Balto, the amazing hero dog who saved the children of Nome, Alaska, but have you heard of Togo? Togo led his team 261 miles on the longest and most dangerous leg of the Great Race of Mercy to distribute diphtheria antidote. No offense to Balto, but he ran 55 miles with his team on the much easier final stretch. Seppala, Togo’s owner and the man who risked his life alongside his dogs, said of Togo many years later, “I never had a better dog than Togo. His endurance, loyalty and intelligence were unmatched. Togo was the best dog to ever run the Alaska Trail.”
You can read more about Togo and his amazing accomplishments in books like Togo by Robert J. Blake and Togo by Kate Klimo. You can also watch the movie The Great Alaskan Race: The Amazing True Story of Togo and Balto here at the Great Bend Public Library. Hopefully one day when we think of the dogs and people who saved the children of Nome, Alaska from a deadly epidemic, Togo and Seppala will be the first people who come to mind.
Hannah Grippin is the Outreach Manager for the Great Bend Public Library. To see what else we are up to, visit our Facebook page and our website greatbendpl.info. You can also message us on Facebook, email us at [email protected], or call us at 620-792-2409 if you have any questions about our programs or services.
