From puppyhood, Bear is passed from one family to another. He is labelled too much of everything due to his excessive energy and no outlet for it.
Moving from place to place, he is unable to be what he really is, because no one he lives with, can recognize his true nature.
That is, until a special girl enters his life and identifies his potential.
When he is taken into a group of dogs that are just like him, he realizes that he wasn’t all the negative names his former owners gave him.
There are no more destructive habits, just lessons that teach him how to find Koalas in the forest for research purposes. And he loves the rewards!
Bear also loves the new smells that he encounters each day. There is always another to discover.
Then the fires of Black Summer, 2019 – 2020 occur. The smells disappear. The ground is ash, black as the surrounding fallen branches and trees.
Bear is needed more than ever. It is another smell that he is now taught to locate - Koala droppings.
When the Koalas are located, their burns are nursed in wildlife centres until they are strong enough to return to their bush-land homes.
And then it is time for Bear to return home as well.
Recognized for all his hard work, and now a hero who has found direction and purpose, Bear is given a new label - Conservation detection dog; something he is happy to be in the future.
Stunning illustrations and perfect end papers complement the strong messages concerning working dogs that the book incorporates.
The Story of Bear in detail can be found in a double-page spread at the end. There is also an informative Did You Know that follows, with facts about Koalas, including the importance of their pellets, and lots of fantastic facts about dogs and their capabilities.
Too good to miss!
Title: Bear to the Rescue
Author: Romane Cristescu & Nic Gill
Illustrator: Sylvia Morris
Publisher: CSIRO, $26.99
Publication Date: 1 October 2025
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781486314904
For ages: 5+
Type: Non Fiction Picture Book
