Black Bear Goes to Washington and Run Like a Sled Dog by Denise Lawson

There are two famous sled dog races that take place in Alaska each year, the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod. The Iditarod is held each year on the first Saturday in March. Teams of sled dogs and mushers gather in Anchorage, Alaska this and make the 1,000-mile trek to Nome, Alaska. The Iditarod is a challenging race that takes 8 to 15 days to complete. The Yukon Quest which is also 1,000 miles is considered to be even more challenging than the Iditarod because it takes place earlier in the year when it's colder and darker. It runs between Fairbanks, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon (Canada), and takes 9 to 24 days to complete. The race is unique in that it takes place in two countries. Each year the direction of the race alternates so Fairbanks and Whitehorse take turns being the start and finish line. The Yukon Quest is so challenging... it is considered to be the toughest sled dog race in the world!

Author Denise Lawson recently adopted a retired sled dog named Black Bear.  Black Bear was born in Eagle, Alaska and was a lead dog in the 2009 Yukon Quest.  She also led dog teams on remote wilderness expeditions for many years.  How cool is that?  When Black Bear was ready to retire and needed a forever home, Denise Lawson and her family welcomed her into theirs.  Denise Lawson loves Black Bear so much, she wrote an entire series of children's books about her.  The first book in the series is Black Bear Goes to Washington and the most recent book is Run Like a Sled Dog.  Keep reading to learn more about these two books, how you can use them in the classroom, and more about Black Bear herself!

If you are looking for the FREE Sled Dog Research printable, it has been moved to the blog post Fun Facts About Sled Dogs.  Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Black Bear Goes to Washington Summary

Black Bear Goes to Washington is based on the real adventures of Black Bear, a sled dog who spent 11 years in a remote part of Alaska along the Yukon River. Learn about this endearing sled dog's life in the Alaskan bush and her journey of discovery after she arrives in Washington. Through a unique style of illustration, readers are immersed in the world of Black Bear as she adjusts to her new world. The book inspires teamwork and cooperation and introduces young minds to the concept of adapting to change and new experiences. Through the voice of Black Bear, the story conveys the essence of sled dog life in Alaska and lightheartedly suggests that we could all learn a little something from some old sled dogs.  Black Bear Goes to Washington is the first in a series. At the end of this story, Black Bear is wearing her life vest ready to embark on her next adventure.

🍎 Title: Black Bear Goes to Washington

🍎 Author: Denise Lawson

🍎 Illustrator: Denise Lawson

🍎 Publisher: Brown & Lowe Books

🍎 Date: October 12, 2019

🍎 Pages: 30

Run Like a Sled Dog Summary

The latest book in the Black Bear Sled Dog series makes a great gift for young readers. In Run Like a Sled Dog, Black Bear is the only sled dog around, but she needs a little help with a big sled dog job. Black Bear meets some unexpected friends in this light-hearted rhyming tale. Who will fit into Black Bear's harness and pull alongside her? "Hoot, the alpaca, looks very strong, but the harness won't fit him. His neck is too long." Young audiences will enjoy the upbeat surprise ending that reminds us all to follow our dreams.

🍎 Title: Run Like a Sled Dog

🍎 Author: Denise Lawson

🍎 Illustrator: Denise Lawson

🍎 Publisher: Brown & Lowe Books

🍎 Date: November 17, 2020

🍎 Pages: 32

Background Knowledge

Black Bear Goes to Washington and Run Like a Sled Dog are part of a series about Black Bear, a retired sled dog who found her forever home with Denise Lawson and her family.  Some of your students may be familiar with sled dogs because they've watched movies like 'The Great Alaskan Race' (2019) or 'TOGO' (2020), but others may not know what they are.  Before you read Black Bear Goes to Washington and Run Like a Sled Dog with your students, you may need to have a quick conversation about what dog sledding is, how it got started as a necessary form of transportation, how sled dogs are different from dogs that are kept as traditional house pets, etc.  

I had a chance to chat with Denise Lawson about sled dogs and how intelligent they are.  She told me:

Sled dogs are highly trained working dogs. They start their training from puppyhood. Mushers select puppies for different roles on the dog team by observing their natural tendencies as puppies. The puppy that is eager to explore and shows a lot of initiative might be a good lead dog. The mushers invest a lot of time in building a relationship with the dogs. They are able to follow commands even in challenging situations with a lot of different stimuli. The lead dogs help the musher lookout for obstacles that the musher might not be able to see.

Map Skills

Black Bear was born and raised in Eagle, Alaska, and ran in many sled races, including the Yukon Quest in 2009.  When Black Bear was retired from racing, she was adopted by Denise Lawson who lives in Virginia.  We know from reading Black Bear Goes to Washington that she visited Washington, DC.  Pull out a map of North America.  Help your students locate Alaska and the small town of Eagle where Black Bear was born.  Can your students find the Yukon in Canada?  Virginia and Washington, DC in the 'lower 48'?  Use the scale on the map to approximate how many miles Black Bear traveled from Eagle, Alaska to Virginia where he lives now.

In 2009, Black Bear ran in the Yukon Quest sled dog race.  The race starts in White Horse, Yukon (Canada) and ends in Fairbanks, Alaska (United States).  Take a look at this trail map of the Yukon Quest and compare it to a topographical map of that area.  What type of terrain did Black Bear and the other sled dogs race through?  What rivers did they cross?  What kind of challenges would this terrain pose?  Would this be an easy race?  Could this race be completed in one day?

To learn more about Black Bear and his series by Denise Lawson, please visit Black Bear's website.  

Did you enjoy reading about these Black Bear books? If so, check out these blog posts for more animal stories:

• Book: Hector, A Dog’s Story by Renata Kaminska
• Book + Printable: Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton
• Book: The Adventures of Noah by Lori Brown
• Book: Soar by Hillary Daecher
• Book: Crazy Cats from Outer Space by Matt Bell
• Book + Printable: Incredible Animals by Dunia Rahwan