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Nuzzle: Love Between a Boy and His Service Dog
Nuzzle is a sensitive and humorous portrayal of adoption, disability and the unconditional relationship between a boy and his service dog, Chancer. It is written through the eyes, ears, nose, paws, and voice of Chancer and designed as an early reader for six to eight year olds. This book will forever change the way you think about brain injury and second chances. Readers will learn how this irresistible 90-lb. golden retriever helps to raise his special ‘human’ boy. Children and adults will understand the daily challenges faced by a child living with the life-long, hidden birth defect called fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD is the umbrella term used to describe a broad range of effects associated with alcohol use during pregnancy. “This book sings. It is now my all time favorite children’s book!” — Deb Evensen, FASD Special Education Consultant, Anchorage, Alaska NUZZLE is an auditory and visual joy—the lively artwork and engaging words offer an easy-to-read format both children and their parents will understand. How I wish I had such a book in my early journey into the world of FASD. Perhaps through the heart of Chancer, FASD can be better understood and families can receive the help they need most. — Victoria Deasy, M.S. Special Education Teacher, California Consultant, Writer, Parent to a wonderful son with FASDs Nuzzle is a wonderful story for any kid who doesn’t understand what FASD is. I have FASD and I struggle with Math—a lot! I have my own little comfort of fluff, my cat MiMi. Iyal is lucky to have a companion like Chancer who is so stinkin’ cute! I’m glad after being abused, Chancer found love in the arms of a boy who needed a good friend. — Rachel “Donnie Kanter Winokur's passion in building awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) has helped many and opened eyes to professionals working with persons with this brain damage. Donnie utilized her pre-adoption professional skills in founding NOFAS - Georgia and developing statewide and national awareness. It is a privilege to work beside her. Her role as service dog handler for Chancer for her son has moved mountains and opened doors for other children with FASD.” – Jodee Kulp Visit Chancer at www.TheChancerChronicles.com
48 pages, Paperback
First published November 14, 2011
18 people want to read
About the author
Donnie Kanter Winokur
4 books20 followersDonnie Kanter Winokur is among the Amazon Top 50 Most Popular Authors in Biographies and Memoirs and the Top 100 Books in Biographies and Memoirs.
Donnie was featured as an Emerging Author at the 2017 AJC Decatur Book Festival, the largest independent book festival in the country. Her story will not only resonate with families who live with similar struggles, but demonstrate the power of unconditional love and perseverance from a family and a dog that you will never forget.
Donnie is an award winning writer, international speaker, and human rights advocate. She has contributed to Reader’s Digest, Guidepost, Marie Claire, and Adoption Today. Donnie’s story was featured in “Wonder Dog” for the New York Times Magazine in 2012 and became one of the ten most shared and searched for articles that year.
Chancer- How One Good Boy Saved Another, is her first full-length book after publishing two award-winning children's books. A native of New Jersey, Donnie studied theater at Catholic University (“because being a nun was out of the question”) before transferring to Emory University in Atlanta, where she graduated with a degree in psychology. There her passion for drama evolved from repertory theater to commercials and voice-overs.
After honing her skills writing and producing advertising campaigns for clients throughout the Southeast, she then created award-winning projects for Discovery, The Smithsonian Institute, and Broderbund/Random House. >In Chancer – How One Good Boy Saved Another, Donnie brings you into her world of developmental disabilities with her poignancy, unashamed honesty, and often-irreverent humor, especially for a rabbi’s wife. She doesn’t mind being upstaged by children or dogs, especially her son, Iyal, and his service dog,
Donnie shares her journey to adoptive parenthood along with her son’s devastating diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome, the most severe expression of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). After an exhausting pursuit of medications, therapies, and interventions only left Iyal more frustrated—and their family more desperate—Donnie tried something outside-the-box. Consequently, in 2008, Donnie’s son, Iyal, obtained an intelligent and irresistible ninety-pound golden retriever named Chancer, the first certified FASD assistance dog in the world.
A dynamic and in-demand speaker, Donnie is committed to preventing what she calls “the perfect storm,” the failed opportunity for our justice system to support challenged individuals in dire need of compassion and protection. She remains a dedicated champion for shifting our cultural paradigm and changing public misperceptions about marginalized individuals.
Donnie and her husband, Harvey, the founding rabbi of a reform synagogue, live north of Atlanta with Iyal and their daughter, Morasha. Their family unexpectedly lost Chancer at eleven years old, to an aggressive illness. But his successor, Quinn, also trained as an FASD service dog was well mentored by his older brother. Autumn, their cat, tolerates the Quinn, while enjoying an occasional swat.
Donnie was featured as an Emerging Author at the 2017 AJC Decatur Book Festival, the largest independent book festival in the country. Her story will not only resonate with families who live with similar struggles, but demonstrate the power of unconditional love and perseverance from a family and a dog that you will never forget.
Donnie is an award winning writer, international speaker, and human rights advocate. She has contributed to Reader’s Digest, Guidepost, Marie Claire, and Adoption Today. Donnie’s story was featured in “Wonder Dog” for the New York Times Magazine in 2012 and became one of the ten most shared and searched for articles that year.
Chancer- How One Good Boy Saved Another, is her first full-length book after publishing two award-winning children's books. A native of New Jersey, Donnie studied theater at Catholic University (“because being a nun was out of the question”) before transferring to Emory University in Atlanta, where she graduated with a degree in psychology. There her passion for drama evolved from repertory theater to commercials and voice-overs.
After honing her skills writing and producing advertising campaigns for clients throughout the Southeast, she then created award-winning projects for Discovery, The Smithsonian Institute, and Broderbund/Random House. >In Chancer – How One Good Boy Saved Another, Donnie brings you into her world of developmental disabilities with her poignancy, unashamed honesty, and often-irreverent humor, especially for a rabbi’s wife. She doesn’t mind being upstaged by children or dogs, especially her son, Iyal, and his service dog,
Donnie shares her journey to adoptive parenthood along with her son’s devastating diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome, the most severe expression of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). After an exhausting pursuit of medications, therapies, and interventions only left Iyal more frustrated—and their family more desperate—Donnie tried something outside-the-box. Consequently, in 2008, Donnie’s son, Iyal, obtained an intelligent and irresistible ninety-pound golden retriever named Chancer, the first certified FASD assistance dog in the world.
A dynamic and in-demand speaker, Donnie is committed to preventing what she calls “the perfect storm,” the failed opportunity for our justice system to support challenged individuals in dire need of compassion and protection. She remains a dedicated champion for shifting our cultural paradigm and changing public misperceptions about marginalized individuals.
Donnie and her husband, Harvey, the founding rabbi of a reform synagogue, live north of Atlanta with Iyal and their daughter, Morasha. Their family unexpectedly lost Chancer at eleven years old, to an aggressive illness. But his successor, Quinn, also trained as an FASD service dog was well mentored by his older brother. Autumn, their cat, tolerates the Quinn, while enjoying an occasional swat.
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April 9, 2014
I don't normally give bad reviews but this is a badly written book. The writing is disjointed, leaving me wondering if I had missed a page. The ideas between pages being so different at times that the story was difficult to follow.
Like was the dog breeder connected to the service dog organization? If so bad future owners wouldn't be coming to look at the pups. But if not, why did the pup go back to the place where he was a puppy?
Then there was the year he spent outside. What was that about? It appeared he was fed but nothing more. No puppy raiser (those are the volunteers who have the service dog pup for the first year) would ever do that and no good service dog organization would allow it. Puppy raisers take this work very seriously. And a dog that lived in those conditions would almost never make a good service dog, the damage to a dog who is ignored for a year is far too drastic.
Then these horrible people who did nothing with this dog for a year just take him to a service dog organization? Sorry, that just doesn't happen in real life. These organizations don't just take any dog they are given.
There are far better books on the subject of service dogs and service dogs to children. I suggest:
One Golden Year by Coleen Hubbard
My Buddy by Audrey Osofsky
Like was the dog breeder connected to the service dog organization? If so bad future owners wouldn't be coming to look at the pups. But if not, why did the pup go back to the place where he was a puppy?
Then there was the year he spent outside. What was that about? It appeared he was fed but nothing more. No puppy raiser (those are the volunteers who have the service dog pup for the first year) would ever do that and no good service dog organization would allow it. Puppy raisers take this work very seriously. And a dog that lived in those conditions would almost never make a good service dog, the damage to a dog who is ignored for a year is far too drastic.
Then these horrible people who did nothing with this dog for a year just take him to a service dog organization? Sorry, that just doesn't happen in real life. These organizations don't just take any dog they are given.
There are far better books on the subject of service dogs and service dogs to children. I suggest:
One Golden Year by Coleen Hubbard
My Buddy by Audrey Osofsky
Displaying 1 of 1 review