Nancy Furstinger
Author of Paws of Courage: True Tales of Heroic Dogs that Protect and Serve
About the Author
Nancy Furstinger lives in New York state
Series
Works by Nancy Furstinger
Mercy: The Incredible Story of Henry Bergh, Founder of the ASPCA and Friend to Animals (2016) 30 copies, 1 review
The Incredible Book of Outrageous Facts for Kids: Random Information You Need to Know! (2024) 4 copies
Incredible Rescues 2 copies
New Frontiers 2 copies
The Dutchess and Guy 1 copy
un trabajo en equipo 1 copy
Animals of the Everglades 1 copy
George Ferris's Famous Wheel 1 copy
The Barn Raising 1 copy
COMPOST: RECYCLED WASTE 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Gender
- female
- Short biography
- Nancy Furstinger is the author of nearly 100 books, including many on her favorite topic: animals! She started her writing career in third grade, when her class performed a play she wrote while recovering from chicken pox. Since then, Nancy has been a feature writer for a daily newspaper, a managing editor of trade and consumer magazines, and an editor at two children's book publishing houses. She shares her home and heart with big dogs, house rabbits, and a chinchilla (all rescued), and volunteers and fosters pets for several animal organizations. Nancy has been speaking up for animals since she learned to talk, and she hasn't shut up yet! Please adopt, don't shop.
- Nationality
- USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
Maggie, a heavily pregnant black Labrador mix, is abandoned by her family, who pack up and leave her locked inside their now bare house, where she is eventually discovered by the realtor, and taken to the local animal control facility. Here she delivers her eleven puppies, nine of which survive and are shortly adopted. Maggie herself, however, is passed over again and again - becoming "just another big black dog, blending into the shadows" - until it begins to look as though she will have be show more euthanized. Fortunately, a local fourth grader named Jeff, learning of Maggie's story, and of her impending execution, convinces his class to get involved in a project to convince their town council to build a no-kill shelter. But will it be in time to give Maggie the second chance she deserves...?
Part of The Gryphon Press' Sit! Stay! Read! series of picture-books, intended for use in human education, Maggie's Second Chance is an immensely poignant book, one that does not shy away from some unpleasant realities, in human-canine relationships. I had a lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes, as Maggie's erstwhile family (carefully avoiding looking at her) abandon her to her fate. I understand that circumstances change, and people can't always keep their animal companions - I have sympathy for that situation, and know it can be heartbreaking, for all involved! - but who leaves a dependent animal in a situation where they will slowly starve to death?!? What if the realtor hadn't showed up in time? It boggles the mind...
Useful as a means of prompting discussion about how we treat animals, this is also an inspiring story of young people getting involved in their community and making a difference. It is all the more impressive for being based on a true story from Dalhart, Texas (see the Dawgs in Texas website for more details), where fourth-graders did just was Jeff and his classmates do in this book! Touching, informative, and beautifully illustrated, Maggie's Second Chance is a book I would recommend to young dog and animal lovers, and to anyone looking for good stories to use in humane education. show less
Part of The Gryphon Press' Sit! Stay! Read! series of picture-books, intended for use in human education, Maggie's Second Chance is an immensely poignant book, one that does not shy away from some unpleasant realities, in human-canine relationships. I had a lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes, as Maggie's erstwhile family (carefully avoiding looking at her) abandon her to her fate. I understand that circumstances change, and people can't always keep their animal companions - I have sympathy for that situation, and know it can be heartbreaking, for all involved! - but who leaves a dependent animal in a situation where they will slowly starve to death?!? What if the realtor hadn't showed up in time? It boggles the mind...
Useful as a means of prompting discussion about how we treat animals, this is also an inspiring story of young people getting involved in their community and making a difference. It is all the more impressive for being based on a true story from Dalhart, Texas (see the Dawgs in Texas website for more details), where fourth-graders did just was Jeff and his classmates do in this book! Touching, informative, and beautifully illustrated, Maggie's Second Chance is a book I would recommend to young dog and animal lovers, and to anyone looking for good stories to use in humane education. show less
Based upon the real-life story of Guy, a rescue beagle owned by the actress Meghan Markle, this picture-book from American author Nancy Furstinger and Spanish illustrator Julia Bereciartu imagines the process whereby the pooch makes himself at home with the British royal family, after Ms. Markle meets and eventually marries Prince Harry. Despite some initial mishaps, Guy eventually finds his place, much like his human, and all ends well...
Although I can't deny that there are some winsome show more elements to The Duchess and Guy: A Rescue-to-Royalty Puppy Love Story, and although I do appreciate its message about the importance of adopting animals from shelters - the decal on the back of the book indicates that the publisher has made a donation to the animal shelter where Guy was first housed - I wasn't that thrilled with the book. I find the public attention lavished on the royals, particularly here in the states... somewhat puzzling. That isn't to say I refuse to read any children's book to do with the current British royal family. I enjoyed Steve Antony's The Queen's Hat and The Queen's Handbag, which imagine Queen Elizabeth II zipping around London and the UK, respectively, and have even read one of the Duchess of York's picture-books, Ballerina Rosie, which I found pleasant (albeit unremarkable). But while I accept that this group of people has a traditional cultural significance for many Britons, I find the whole fuss made about them to be very much of a "celebrity culture" phenomenon. I maintain a "celebrity author" shelf for those children's books penned by people famous in other fields of endeavor, and I am generally not all that impressed by most such offerings. I think I will add this book to the shelf, despite the fact that the author herself is not a celebrity, as I feel it is very much being published in order to capitalize on the media attention surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
I could be wrong, but I don't think this story was created in partnership with the eponymous duchess - I feel that this would have been advertised prominently on the book, if it were so - so the story felt almost... exploitative. (Oh the irony - an antimonarchist defending a royal!) As mentioned, I'm not a fan of the royals, but if one is going to write about them, it might be a good idea to get basic facts right. The author appears to have gotten some major details of the royal family's life wrong, starting with the fact that the duke and duchess don't live with the queen at Buckingham Palace. It took me all of two seconds googling to determine that they live at Kensington Palace - couldn't the author here have done the same? I guess not, if the purpose is to emphasize the 'royal' connection. I don't really recommend it (as should be obvious), although I suspect determined fans of the royal family might find it appealing. show less
Although I can't deny that there are some winsome show more elements to The Duchess and Guy: A Rescue-to-Royalty Puppy Love Story, and although I do appreciate its message about the importance of adopting animals from shelters - the decal on the back of the book indicates that the publisher has made a donation to the animal shelter where Guy was first housed - I wasn't that thrilled with the book. I find the public attention lavished on the royals, particularly here in the states... somewhat puzzling. That isn't to say I refuse to read any children's book to do with the current British royal family. I enjoyed Steve Antony's The Queen's Hat and The Queen's Handbag, which imagine Queen Elizabeth II zipping around London and the UK, respectively, and have even read one of the Duchess of York's picture-books, Ballerina Rosie, which I found pleasant (albeit unremarkable). But while I accept that this group of people has a traditional cultural significance for many Britons, I find the whole fuss made about them to be very much of a "celebrity culture" phenomenon. I maintain a "celebrity author" shelf for those children's books penned by people famous in other fields of endeavor, and I am generally not all that impressed by most such offerings. I think I will add this book to the shelf, despite the fact that the author herself is not a celebrity, as I feel it is very much being published in order to capitalize on the media attention surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
I could be wrong, but I don't think this story was created in partnership with the eponymous duchess - I feel that this would have been advertised prominently on the book, if it were so - so the story felt almost... exploitative. (Oh the irony - an antimonarchist defending a royal!) As mentioned, I'm not a fan of the royals, but if one is going to write about them, it might be a good idea to get basic facts right. The author appears to have gotten some major details of the royal family's life wrong, starting with the fact that the duke and duchess don't live with the queen at Buckingham Palace. It took me all of two seconds googling to determine that they live at Kensington Palace - couldn't the author here have done the same? I guess not, if the purpose is to emphasize the 'royal' connection. I don't really recommend it (as should be obvious), although I suspect determined fans of the royal family might find it appealing. show less
I'm a sucker for dog heroes, so this little book with 3-4 page biographies of dogs who have served in various capacities with the military, search and rescue, and police hit the spot. Geared for tween readers, the book includes lots of photos and sidebars. From WWI battlefields to the World Trade Center and the Italian beaches (water rescue dogs), dogs of many breeds have worked with handlers from many countries. A feel good book about furry, heroic canines.
Note: Although some of the show more featured dogs were injured in the line of duty, none were killed. show less
Note: Although some of the show more featured dogs were injured in the line of duty, none were killed. show less
Mercy: The Incredible Story of Henry Bergh, Founder of the ASPCA and Friend to Animals by Nancy Furstinger
Mercy: The Incredible Story of Henry Bergh was a treat to read. I’ve read another biography about Henry Bergh, but this one is better. The book details the life of Henry Bergh. He founded the ASPCA and helped foster in protection for abused children in Massachusetts. Henry came from a wealthy family. He tried to be a poet and playwright but failed. He became interested in animal welfare after traveled to Europe and Russia. He witnessed bulls being tortured for sport and in another event, a show more horse in Russia had tears in its eyes due to pain from a beating. This was the start of a change in Henry Bergh. Later, he will build a horse ambulance, a crane with a sling to retrieve encumbered horses, and even made riders leave overloaded railway cars to reduce the burden on horses. Did you know we used dogs to pull carts? Henry Bergh is the reason this isn’t a reality anymore.
Henry Bergh was “the Great Meddler”. He even started one of the first child welfare programs in the country. The was nearly a half century before children’s rights were given their due. He pushed around P.T. Barnum while he was getting his circus started. The two men fought but found common ground enough that Barnum was a pallbearer at Bergh’s funeral. This common ground apparently being money.
Mr. Bergh had no children or animals. This brings me to a few issues this book brought up about Henry. The author, Nancy Furstinger, highlights a litany of hypocrisy from Henry’s life. He hated the way livestock were treated on their way to being processed. He wanted people to not eat meat, although he ate meat. He hated elephants being tortured with a hot rod, but didn’t mind them being abused with sharp hooks. He wore fur! No irony intended.
I loved this book. It went into greater detail of the cities Henry visited during his travels. There is a great Turtle boat story that came up in both books but is better told in this book. This book contains a rundown of all the “influential friends” Henry had during his life. It works as a great reference piece. Ms. Furstinger included a lot of quotes from Henry and his acquaintances. I like this one concerning child welfare from pg. 126, “I regard a helpless child in the same light as a dumb animal. Both are god’s creatures. Neither can protect themselves. My duty is imperative to aid them.”
This is a biography that doesn’t follow a chronological path. This is a great feature of the book highlighted by the illustrations of Vincent Dejardins. He has a great picture that goes along with the attention-grabbing story of Henry falling from a ceiling to break up a dog fighting competition. I think it was a good choice to use illustrations during the narrative. Ms. Furstinger included a lot of pictures and cartoons from the time period, but she put them in a chapter at the end. The illustrations are kind of odd looking but quite effective.
Now I want to talk about a few of the features of the book. The book is in full color, has a table of contents, a timeline, quote sources, a bibliography, picture credits, and an index. One thing not listed but included are anecdotal information pages that detail something talked about during the chapter. These could’ve been useful if they weren’t haphazardly included in the middle of paragraphs and in the middle of the chapters. I didn’t enjoy reading them and outside of the rundown of acquaintances, I didn’t think they were useful. The information could’ve been shorter and included at the end of the chapter. I harp on this because everything else is well done. I love the inclusion of the timeline since the book isn’t presented chronologically. The book has style for miles. The quote source section was cool too. I enjoyed having an entire section that focused on famous people being upset with a dog lover. One touch I like is that color was added to the old political cartoons. I think this could go a long way to grabbing young reader’s attention and making them spend time with each cartoon.
There are touches in this book that speak of passion and depth of knowledge. This author shares a birthday with Henry Bergh. That one detail sparked her interest in Henry. The result is in an incredibly well done biography with lots of details and source to back them up. This book has so many details that I could see value with the book inside any classroom. It’s a casual read that stayed interesting all the way to the picture credits. show less
Henry Bergh was “the Great Meddler”. He even started one of the first child welfare programs in the country. The was nearly a half century before children’s rights were given their due. He pushed around P.T. Barnum while he was getting his circus started. The two men fought but found common ground enough that Barnum was a pallbearer at Bergh’s funeral. This common ground apparently being money.
Mr. Bergh had no children or animals. This brings me to a few issues this book brought up about Henry. The author, Nancy Furstinger, highlights a litany of hypocrisy from Henry’s life. He hated the way livestock were treated on their way to being processed. He wanted people to not eat meat, although he ate meat. He hated elephants being tortured with a hot rod, but didn’t mind them being abused with sharp hooks. He wore fur! No irony intended.
I loved this book. It went into greater detail of the cities Henry visited during his travels. There is a great Turtle boat story that came up in both books but is better told in this book. This book contains a rundown of all the “influential friends” Henry had during his life. It works as a great reference piece. Ms. Furstinger included a lot of quotes from Henry and his acquaintances. I like this one concerning child welfare from pg. 126, “I regard a helpless child in the same light as a dumb animal. Both are god’s creatures. Neither can protect themselves. My duty is imperative to aid them.”
This is a biography that doesn’t follow a chronological path. This is a great feature of the book highlighted by the illustrations of Vincent Dejardins. He has a great picture that goes along with the attention-grabbing story of Henry falling from a ceiling to break up a dog fighting competition. I think it was a good choice to use illustrations during the narrative. Ms. Furstinger included a lot of pictures and cartoons from the time period, but she put them in a chapter at the end. The illustrations are kind of odd looking but quite effective.
Now I want to talk about a few of the features of the book. The book is in full color, has a table of contents, a timeline, quote sources, a bibliography, picture credits, and an index. One thing not listed but included are anecdotal information pages that detail something talked about during the chapter. These could’ve been useful if they weren’t haphazardly included in the middle of paragraphs and in the middle of the chapters. I didn’t enjoy reading them and outside of the rundown of acquaintances, I didn’t think they were useful. The information could’ve been shorter and included at the end of the chapter. I harp on this because everything else is well done. I love the inclusion of the timeline since the book isn’t presented chronologically. The book has style for miles. The quote source section was cool too. I enjoyed having an entire section that focused on famous people being upset with a dog lover. One touch I like is that color was added to the old political cartoons. I think this could go a long way to grabbing young reader’s attention and making them spend time with each cartoon.
There are touches in this book that speak of passion and depth of knowledge. This author shares a birthday with Henry Bergh. That one detail sparked her interest in Henry. The result is in an incredibly well done biography with lots of details and source to back them up. This book has so many details that I could see value with the book inside any classroom. It’s a casual read that stayed interesting all the way to the picture credits. show less
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 89
- Members
- 642
- Popularity
- #39,292
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 14
- ISBNs
- 251
- Languages
- 1