Mason is picked up by a tornado and slammed down. His front legs are broken. Two and a half weeks later, his family finds the emaciated dog on their porch. He has crawled all the way back. Children and adults will want to read this nonfiction book about animals and tornadoes. The Super Outbreak of tornadoes from the Southeast to the Northeast on April 27, 2011, the Joplin storm of May 22, and other storms of 2011 are examined. An excellent map of the storms is available. Realistic photographs of storm destruction are presented both from the air and at ground level. The author details the roles of the Humane Society, the SPCA, Have a Heart Animal Rescue and Adoption, and animal advocates during catastrophic tornadoes. Certain vocabulary words, such as "advocates," and "debris" are typed in bold and defined in the glossary. Animals are: united with owners; worked on by veterinarians; taken to other states to be adopted; or in the case of wild birds, treated and set free. The dangers of storms to pets, farm animals, and wildlife are explained, and throughout, the role of volunteers is emphasized. Additional sections include: a bibliography, read more, learn more online, and an index. Each appendix is appropriate for younger readers who may want to delve deeper, or who must do a report. The book does mention that people die in tornadoes. Part of the "Rescuing Animals from Disasters" series. Reviewer: Greta Holt
