Buddy: The First Seeing Eye Dog

Hello Reader Level 4

by Eva Moore, Don Bolognese (Illustrations)

With inspiring and educational stories, Scholastic's Hello Reader series caters to the spectrum of reading abilities among beginning readers. My First Hello Readers use basic words to reinforce phonics and sight vocabulary. The books at this level offer punch-out flash cards plus six additional pages of skill-building activities. Levels 1 - 4 combine a greater vocabulary and longer sentence length. Each book has an introductory letter from an education specialist guiding parents on how to help their children learn to read. Grades 2 - Grades 4.

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens, History, Juvenile, Dogs, Animals, Picture Books

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Khanh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short but accurate account of Morris Frank and his dog, Buddy, the first known guide dog team in America. This is geared for younger readers, but it's still a quick and fun read. I love the fact that it includes a little information about The Seeing Eye at the end.

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnificent easy reader book about the first seeing eye dog in America, Buddy. You are immediately transported to another place and time, specifically the green valleys of Switzerland, where American Dorothy Eustis raised German Shepherds in Fortunate Fields for police and rescue work. Dorothy becomes intrigued by a fantastic story of seeing eye dogs in Germany, and goes there to see first hand if this is true, and is stunned to find out that properly trained dogs can be "eyes" for the blind. Soon she and and her partner Jack train German Shepherds to become seeing eye dogs, and American Morris Frank of Tennessee would be partnered with his first seeing eye dog, Buddy. This story is beautifully written, and tells a story not often heard.

Highly recommended for grades 2nd and up.

[Miguel Nava · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t you just love dogs!?? 🐕

[M.M. Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true story of a German Shepherd named Kiss that grew up to be the first seeing eye dog in the United States. He had been trained with other German Shepherds that became police dogs. However, he and another dog were picked to specially train to be dogs for the blind.

A man by the name of Morris Frank, who changed the dog's name to Buddy, was the first recipient. It took awhile but eventually they learned to work with each other. Over the years, Mr. Frank had a couple of dogs that he named all of them Buddy after his first companion.

The company that trained the dogs in the US called "The Seeing Eye". It was started by Mr. morris to help people who could not see. To this day it has placed hundreds of dogs with blind people.

I have always been amazed by the work they do so this book I found quite interesting. I was intrigued by how they trained the dogs and how each one is special to its owner.

This is a terrific book for advanced readers and I recommend it. Worth the 4 stars I am giving it.

Disclosure; I purchased this book for my own collections. The view here is 100% my own and may differ with yours. ~Michelle

[Hannah Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is based off a true story. Buddy was the first seeing eye dog in America. She was smart and loyal. She was trained in Germany. Her owner Morris loved her very much and they had an amazing connection. She served Morris until she died. She introduced guide dogs to America and became very famous for it.

This is a great book because it is a Scholastic reader book. Many beginning readers on different levels can read this book. It uses basic words that can easily be sounded out and it is organized into short chapters to give beginning readers the feeling of reading a real chapter book.

One idea for a lesson for this book would be reading it during service dog awareness week. This is a great book to use for educating young children about the importance of service dogs.

[Royce Ratterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read and ideal for youth and a true inspiring story. This amazing story features a young man's journey from the darkness of dispair into the joyousness of light, along with the hero of this story... his guide dog, Buddy. Illustrations grace each page and from beginning to end there is never a dull page to view.
Captivated by a fiction work in 5th grade, 'Follow My Leader' by James B. Garfield, and acquaintances in high school, one with a guide dog named 'Olive', this autobiographical work was a must-read for me, along with 'First Lady of the Seeing Eye' by Morris Frank & Blake Clark, which is a nore detailed autobiography of Morris Frank's life and the life of his treasured dog, Buddy.

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book with an accurate retelling of how seeing eye dogs came to be of service in the United States and to our blind population.

Frank Morris and his German shepherd, Buddy, have paved the way to help over 17,000 blind since the beginning of The Seeing Eye, Inc. located in Morristown, NJ.

Disney created a movie in 1984 called “Love Leads the Way” also talking about Frank Morris and Buddy. It is a tear jerker, you’ve been warned! You can find it on YouTube.

This is one of the best level readers I have come across in a long time that is a living book and not just twaddle. This will remain on my shelf for years to come and be added to the other books of guide dogs and therapy animal books.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful true-life story for a second-grader. My second-grader was impressed with the friendships in this book: The friendship between Kiss and Gala, and the friendship between Kiss (now Buddy) and Morris.

The only thing that didn't quite make sense was the title. Buddy was the first seeing eye dog in the US, but she wasn't the first seeing eye dog.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morris was blind and depended on other people to take him where he needed to go. In Germany dogs were being trained as seeing-eye guide dogs, yet unknown anywhere else. Morris' first seeing-eye dog was Buddy, and his life was changed. This is the true story of the amazing guide dog, Buddy.

[Anna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical look at the first Seeing Eye dogs. Great illustrations and story, educational and inspiring.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Swiss kiss to the walk of the town Buddy is one seeing eye dog.

[Hiba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this as a kid. This book was kinda like a comfort place for me? It made me feel like there's hope for the hopeless, help for the helpless. 💖

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a sweet story!

[The Jesus Fandom · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Although short, this story was very inspiring and honestly, very cool. It’s amazing how we can train animals to help us and give disabled people more freedom and autonomy.

[Vanessa-Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy is a German Shephard and a seeing eye dog. The first ever seeing eye dog. There was a woman that asked herself why it is that people that are blind have to struggle so much to get around. Buddy's name originally, was Kiss. She put him in a school for seeing eye dogs. Then she gave him to a blind man who found the name Kiss, not appropriate for a seeing eye dog, so he renamed him Buddy. Before Buddy came around he had people help him get around. When Buddy arrived, he decided to take him into the village. The first time around they were unable to get Buddy into the village because the gate was locked, but the second time around they made it into the village.

[Connor MacNeil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back when I was a little kid starting grade 2, I was worried I was falling behind on my reading because my classmates were all reading chapter books and I hadn't made that jump yet. This would be my first "chapter book," and even then I knew I'd want to remember it. I've carried the title of this book in my head for years but only just recently thought to add it to my "read" list (trying to make it as comprehensive and complete as possible).
I read it because the dog on the cover looked so beautiful. Me then and me now both agree that this book holds up, and not just sentimentally.

[Amanda Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great beginning chapter book that tells a very interesting story. I read it after my homeschooled second grader recommended it to me. Buddy, the female german shephard, and Morris Frank become real to you and you become attached enough to cry when Buddy dies, after only 48 pages.

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ideal for ages 7-10, this book teaches kids about seeing eye dogs. This tells the true story of, Buddy and does a great job of explaining to kids what seeing eye dogs do, and why they're so special and important.

[Dietmom · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting to see how seeing eye dogs are trained--who first thought of it--and really what freedom they allowed to those who couldn't walk outside their front doors without someone with them.

[Christine Ricks]

The first dog who helped blind people!

[Evan Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a great book and I think it's one of the best books I've ever read. And I remember that Buddy was a german shephard.

[Selvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy reader type chapter book, very short chapters and lots of pictures. It was a nice follow up to Helen Keller's story. We enjoyed it.

[Lolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a god book.

[Ava Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a German Shepard. It is a good book for dog lovers. It is a good story for a family with a handicaped person.

[Teri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely not good!!! Really surprised our school curriculum recommended this one. You'd think with all those words, they'd have something important to say.

[Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story until the ending.

[Anna]

guided reading level M

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for any child interested in learning more about working dogs.