OUR SERUM RUN STORY: By the T’s, U’s, V’s & Me! by Marla B. Brodsky is a short picture book for children. It describes a team of huskies, known as the Hilltown Sled dogs, who are trained and then take part in a three-week journey across Alaska. Though there are other dog teams on the trip, this is not a race. Rather, it mirrors (and is named after) the 1925 journey where lifesaving medication was delivered by dogsled to the distant town of Nome to prevent a diphtheria epidemic.
Using simple rhymed verse, Brodsky introduces the dogs and takes the reader through their adventure—from their initial arrival via truck and trailer to their early days of training in the snow and ice. She tells the tale from the point of view of the dogs, who are generally pretty happy to be where they are—especially when dressed in their protective coats: “We were so excited. We know snow is snow is snow. But cold is cold. Really cold at 55 below.”
The dogs call their human driver Mama, and at one point, just before they begin their epic mush, they are allowed to sleep on her bed. Soon they will travel through snow and over frozen rivers, though the dogs themselves seem less than impressed: “The mighty Yukon River was waiting for us. We had hundreds of miles to go. It all looked the same, was kinda tame. Except for the wind and the cold.”
The illustrations by Lara Renner and Tabetha Kopta wisely center the dogs among the blank whiteness of the snow, which could well have (as the dogs put it) “all look the same.” The best pages have a painterly quality, highlighting the low sun and shadows across the frozen landscape. However, a few pages, especially those that feature humans—most notably the cover—seem less successful.
Not even referencing the historic serum run (other than in the title) feels like a missed opportunity to add a little historical context. Even if this were supplied only as a supplementary paragraph at the end of the book, it would provide young readers with an answer when they ask why the book has its title. Likewise, more could have been made of the significance of the places they travel through. The Nenana Ice Classic is seen as a sign in the background of one page, but it’s not referred to in the text. With that said, this story still has enough going on to entertain its target audience.
Marla B. Brodsky’s OUR SERUM RUN STORY: By the T’s, U’s, V’s & Me! will appeal to dog-loving children and those with a taste for the great outdoors.
~Kent Lane for IndieReader