I know that dogs can be great ratters, and greatly enjoyed this story! Reading about exploration from a dog's perspective made it different from most stories, and I think that my students would enjoy it.

I never gave any thought to dogs going on sea voyages, I thought only cats were used as ratters! I enjoy historical fictions stories for adults, so finding one for kids is always fun! 3rd grade up.

Leo, Dog of the Sea by Alison Hart is interesting historical fiction from a dog’s point of view. The life at sea is never easy and even harder when you are a dog. However, Leo, the ratter, makes the best of it, making a loyal friend in Marco as he goes on this voyage. This action-packed story has storms, villains and new friends made along the way on Leo’s journey.

This is an upper elementary school read that anyone who enjoys historical adventure would enjoy. With Pigafetta, a scribe and Marco a young stowaway, Leo faces dangers much as he faces the rats, head on. It seemed the sailors were unappreciative of the work that Leo did to keep their ship rat free. Is that how it really was, or only a plot element for this story-line, I couldn’t help but wonder. There are other hostile and violent events among the crew and natives that lends itself some discussion too. Overall, an interesting and intriguing story.