Nito finds someone to assist — and love

Terry England | The New Mexican

12/9/2007 -

Nito Meets Chloe!: The Continuing Tale of and Assistance Dog of the West

By Judith M. Newton; illustrated by Sue Blackburn

Assistance Dogs of the West through Sunstone Press

24 pages, $12

Ages 4 to 8

Last time, we saw Nito, a golden retriever puppy, go through training to be an assistance dog in Nito's Tale. In the sequel, Nito Meets Chloe!, we follow Nito as he applies his training to helping a girl confined to a wheelchair.

The book is as bright and colorful as the first, with the text by Judith Newton simple and readable for both young ones and parents who read it aloud (though they'll find Newton occasionally fails to find rhymes for every stanza). Sue Blackburn's drawings are simple and bright, but with enough character so kids can empathize with Chloe.

Readers young and old alike will learn what an assistance dog actually does. Nito fetches, like good dogs do, but he can do other things like hit those switches on the walls in commercial and government buildings that open the handicapped-access doors. Chloe just gives him just one- or two-word commands and he instantly know what to do.

As with Nito's Tale, profits from sales of Nito Meets Chloe go to Assistance Dogs of the West to help pay for the real program. The book thus does double duty by telling us what assistance dogs do while raising money to train them.

Good boy!

England is the Books page editor.

Ali MacGraw will read from and author Judith M. Newton will sign copies of Nito Meets Chloe: The Continuing Tale of an Assistance Dog of the West from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15 at Collected Works Bookstore, 208-B W. San Francisco St. The event is a benefit for Assistance Dogs of the West. For more information, call 988-4226.