Looking Out for Sarah by Glenna Lang

Lang, Glenna. 2001. Looking out for Sarah. Watertown, MA: Talewinds. ISBN 0881066478

Summary
Looking out for Sarah is the job of Perry, a guide dog. The story is told from the point of view of Perry as he guides Sarah through a day in her life. They go to the grocery store, ride a train, do a presentation at the library and go to a restaurant. This book is based on a real blind woman named Sarah and her guide dog, Perry.

Analysis
The very best thing about this book is that Sarah doesn't seem different from anyone else. The illustrations are realistic and Sarah looks very normal. The activities she does in a day are things that anyone would do, blind or not. She goes through her day just like everyone else. Also the book does not show Sarah getting treated any differently because she can't see. No one stares at her, or gives her funny looks. The shop keeper and the people on the train don't respond to her differently. I really liked that about the book.

The book is told from the dog's perspective and it is interesting how much he has to keep up with to guide Sarah safely. When she snaps his harness on, Perry knows it is time to work. He can't be distracted by food on the ground, noises, or other people. He has to keep Sarah safe.

When Sarah and Perry visit a school, Perry falls asleep and he dreams of the time he and Sarah walked from Boston to New York. In the author's note we find out that Perry and Sarah really did walk 300 miles to raise awareness about guide dogs. We also learn that Sarah and Perry enjoy many activities like swimming, sailing and camping.

In 2004 this book won a Schneider award in the young children book category.

Connections
This book can be used to teach children about blindness and guide dogs.
This book can be paired with My Pal Victor to show even if people have a disability, they can still participate in normal activities.

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal says, "There are bits of information about guide dogs throughout, such as the fact that they are allowed in restaurants and stores and that people should not pet and handle them while they are working. An interesting incident that only gets two sentences is the fact that Sarah and Perry once walked the 300 miles from Boston to New York to show "what a guide dog can do for a blind person."

Margaret Bush in Horn Book Magazine says, "The spare text and minimal detail in Lang's framed gouache paintings nicely convey the special personal/professional relationship between dog and owner. Perry is the focus throughout, from his cover portrait in working harness to his contented end-of-the-day sleep beneath Sarah's bed. Sarah's lack of sight is treated matter-of-factly with only the barest mention of her blindness until the author's short concluding note. Perry and Sarah's pleasant daily routine is punctuated with a flashback to a truly impressive accomplishment in which the two walked all the way from Boston to New York to demonstrate "what a guide dog can do for a person."

Works Cited
Bush, Margaret A. 2001. "Looking Out for Sarah." Horn Book Magazine 77, no. 5: 575-576. Academic Search Complete database. Last accessed August 4, 2009.

Howell, Margaret C., Trevelyn E. Jones, Luann Toth, Marlene Charnizon, Daryl Grabarek, and Jeanne Larkins. 2001. "Looking Out for Sarah (Book Review)." School Library Journal 47, no. 9: 193. Academic Search Complete database. Last accessed August 4, 2009.