Looking Out for Sarah

by Glenna Lang

In this story of friendship, loyalty, and trust, Sarah and her guide dog, Perry, go about their busy day. Perry helps Sarah go shopping, to the post office, and take the train to school. Sarah, a blind musician and teacher, entertains the children and tells them about the time she and Perry walked from Boston to New York to show the world what a blind person can accomplish with the help of a guide dog like Perry.

This true story of an amazing black Labrador retriever and his owner will inspire young readers to follow their own dreams and give them the courage to achieve anything.

Expressive, stylized paintings in bold colors and simple shapes convey the extraordinary relationship between Sarah and Perry.

Genres: Picture Books, Disability, Dogs, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Nonfiction, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2001

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this book because it was told mostly from the dog, Perry’s, point of view, and his perceptions and experiences are so enjoyable to read about. And Perry’s sort of narration explains why this book is fiction and not non-fiction, because Sarah and Perry are an actual team, a blind woman and a guide dog, a team who are interesting and have done some wonderful and amazing things. I love how the two make school visits to educate school children, and I love that time is given for the kids to pet Perry. I also liked Perry’s supposed thoughts and feelings, including about the times when he (in minor ways) breaks the rules. This is a wonderful account (I’d like to read a full length biography about these two) and it’s both entertaining and educational. There is an “About the Characters” note at the end of the book. The illustrations were okay and I think they’ll appeal to kids; they definitely fit the story well. I’d have preferred at least one real photo be included.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the story of a real-life woman and her seeing-eye dog - musician and teacher Sarah Gregory Smith, and Labrador retriever Perry - Glenna Lang's Looking Out for Sarah is an engaging picture-book that follows its subjects through one of their busy days. From their morning errands to their afternoon visit to a school, where Sarah sings to, and speaks with groups of young students - not to mention a flashback in which Perry recalls the 300-hundred-mile walk from Boston to New York that he and Sarah once undertook, in order to draw attention to the vital services provided by seeing-eye dogs - the narrative chronicles their active life from Perry's perspective.

I appreciated the fact that Lang's story is told from the canine perspective, as I think that will give young readers added insight into the way that person and dog interact, in situations such as this. I also really liked that while Perry is clearly a hard-working dog, he still has his little doggy quirks and foibles - who could resist all those crumbs?! - and still needs plenty of love and affection. The gouache illustrations are a little flat, but work well with the subject matter and story. All in all, Looking Out for Sarah is an engaging picture-book, one I would recommend to young readers interested in stories of seeing-eye dogs, people with disabilities, or just animal tales in general.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely little introduction to the life of a service dog (seeing eye dog, in this case) and introduced me to a pretty remarkable story I didn't know. Sarah and Perry (the characters in this book) walked from Boston to NYC— 300 miles— as an example of what blind people can do.

[Linda (bythebellbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Looking Out for Sarah was such an eye-opener for me. I knew guide dogs helped with daily tasks, but this book really showed me just how much they do and how deeply they’re connected to their person. Seeing things from Perry the dog’s perspective made me realize the level of responsibility, love, and trust that goes into that partnership.

I also learned little things I hadn’t thought about before - like how guide dogs don’t just “lead,” they actually make decisions and keep their person safe in ways most of us take for granted. It gave me a new appreciation for the independence that Sarah has thanks to Perry.

The illustrations are warm and thoughtful, and the story manages to be both gentle and really informative without feeling heavy. It’s the kind of book that makes you slow down and think about how incredible these dogs are and how much respect they deserve.

[DelGal · Rating 2 out of 5]

A sweet story about a guide dog helping out a blind woman through her daily routine. As an adult I understood the subject matter, but not once was it explained in the story to the intended child audience that Perry was a seeing eye dog who was helping out a blind woman. It was finally on the last page after the story was over did it mention who Sarah was, why she needed Perry, and how he became trained. Wouldn't that be a great bit of information to add to this story?
I particularly didn't understand the line "Although Sarah knew when he was eyeing a bagel, she needed help not bumping into things and avoiding cars." Does anyone out there wonder like me, first, what a bagel is doing on the ground while they're walking (and numerous enough times that she supposedly knew it was a bagel), and second, how did she know it was a bagel in the first place when she can't see?! Am I missing something here?
I also thought that the illustrations could have been a bit better and looked a bit generic.

[Caitlin Barclay]

Looking out for Sarah is about a woman and her guide dog. Sarah is blind and her dog is constantly by her side helping her with her daily routine. Sarah and her dog have walked across the country together! Sarah can do almost all the same things that other people do but she does need help from her best friend her guide dog. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent resource for showing students how people with disabilities go throughout their day. There are also some great descriptive words to review.

[Stephanie Pieck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice story about how a guide dog assists a blind person. Told from the dog's perspective, it mostly avoids the silly notions the public sometimes has about how guide dogs know where their handlers want to go and the handler just lets the dog lead them everywhere. The book also shows the dog engaging in all those normal doggie behaviors that they will. I especially liked that Perry was shown doing something wrong AND right--sniffing crumbs on the sidewalk and getting a reminder to pay attention. Later, Perry does a good job of ignoring another food temptation. But when Sarah meets a friend at a restaurant, the crumbs under the table are just too much to resist. I know exactly how it feels when a guide dog is trying to sneakily clean restaurant floors without me noticing they're doing it. Sometimes, they succeed; other times, I catch them!
This clear-eyed tale is an excellent introduction to guide dogs and definitely worth the price of the book. The print/Braille edition from National Braille Press ensures that blind and sighted readers can learn from Sarah and Perry together.

[Toreian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story revolved around a girl named Sarah and her seeing eye dog named perry. Perry would go everywhere with Sarah. He was her eyes. They would walk and she would tell him which direction to go, and he would direct her. Sometimes he gets a little distracted, but Sarah never gets mad at him she would just snap him back and they would continue with their walks. She treated perry like a dog not like he was always working. They’d take trips to the park, go play music to kids and he’d get cuddles after. Perry was very smart he knew that if Sarah had her guitar or purple sweater on, they were going to play music. One day Sarah decided that her and Perry were going to walk from Boston all the way to New York to prove what a seeing eye dog and a blind girl could do. People supported them along the way and at the end they both received a medal. This story showed me that you should never give on your dreams, and you should also never judge a book by its cover. People with disabilities matter. I really like how they gave Sarah something to stand up for.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Looking Out for Sarah," tells about a guide dog named Perry who helps look out for Sarah by guiding her wherever they walk to. I liked how this story was told from Perry's perspective cause I think seeing his thoughts made me realize how much work and trust is involved with having a guide dog. Even though Perry was tempted to eat crumbs on the floor or chase after certain sounds he maintained focused on helping guide, Sarah. Just by seeing the illustrations I could tell how much of a bond these two have and how much they trust each other as Sarah trusts Perry to guide her to each destination without fail. I was also amazed that these two were able to walk from Boston to New York together despite the obstacles that were in their path. I believe "Looking Out for Sarah" is a charming book about guide dogs and would be an excellent book for children to read.

[Taylor Meier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking Out for Sarah is an amazing book that shows the reader a story of friendship and loyalty between Sarah and her dog Perry. This story is based off of the real-life events of Sarah Gregory Smith and her black labrador retriever Perry. Sarah is blind, and Perry is her seeing eye dog. Sarah and Perry have a very trustworthy relationship with each other. Perry guides Sarah to the grocery store, the post office, and a school. When Sarah and Perry go to the school, Sarah speaks to the children, telling them how wonderful her life is with Perry. Sarah never lets her disability get in the way of her life. Sarah tells the children that she and Perry once walked from Boston all the way to New York to show the world what a guide dog can do for someone who is blind. Glenna Lang did a fantastic job showing the affectionate relationship between Sarah and Perry.

[Jennifer Heise]

Who can resist adorable Black Lab, Perry, who guides his blind owner through her day? He heroically resists the temptation of bits of food on the floor, while following and leading her motions through the day as she visits stores, travels by subway, goes out to lunch, and gives a music program at a school, and returns home. The blocky illustration style suits Perry beautifully, while leaving his beloved master/charge a bit fuzzy, as we see and are told about everything from Perry's point of view. Excellent for fans of working dogs, assistance animals, and dogs in general, as well as an object lesson in how visually challenged people effectively navigate the world. (There is also a flashback to a 300 mile mile walk from Boston to NY the pair did in the past.) Based on a real owner/dog pair.

[Laura West · Rating 2 out of 5]

Looking Out for Sarah is an informative, factual book presented in a story like manner. Perry is a guide dog for his owner Sarah, who has lost her vision and the story tells us what his job is from his perspective so its interesting hearing it from the dogs perspective oppose to the human. I firstly wasn't overwhelmed with the illustrations, I felt they were basic, uninteresting and just block colored. They also appeared blurry and flurry with no definition or detail. Then after reflecting, I realized that maybe the author and illustrator collaborated to do this on purpose. To show the reader what a person with little or poor vision may be able to see, just fuzzy, blurry images with little detail.

[Megan Ewald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Sarah who is blind and her guard dog, Perry. This book explains how Sarah needs Perry for everything she does since she is blind. The book also talks about the importance of not petting guard dogs when they are on duty and is actually based on a true story. The illustrations in this book match up to the text helping students understand the content.

I gave this book a 5/5 because I really liked that it talked about blindness without ever mentioning that Sarah is blind. The dog explaining the story is special to the understanding and I love that the book has details about what to do when they see a guard dog on duty. The illustrations in the book are simple but the meaning of this book is very important and the pictures help capture that meaning.

[Sarah Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a touching story of a service dog named Sarah and how she helps her owner with daily life challenges. There is a lot to learn on issues such as empathy, friendship, and how assistant animals help. I will also use this book in my classroom to discuss the importance of empathy, kindness, and how animals help people uniquely, thus appreciating service animals.

What I liked about this book is its simplicity and warmth in telling, matched only by the illustrations portraying the bond between Sarah and her owner. It moved me to a much deeper level of the bond between humans and animals by reminding me of how animals give their all for our survival. PLus the dog and I have the same name so that was fun, I'm sure that any kids with the same name will love that.

[CHIAO-YIN LO · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book so much! I also very like dogs! Guide dog was very important for Sarah.The people who could not see needed everyone's help. If I can do something to help them,I will be glad to be a volunteer! I think they are brave and we should learn their brave! Although they can see, they still face their daily life and never give up easily! I am so admire them! They are the most brave and great person in the world! The guide dog,Perry,also was a important family for Sarah. Because without them, Sarah could not do so many things! Next time, if we see them on the street,we should give them a hand!

[Brandy Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading from the dog's perspective, Perry. One aspect, that would make me chuckle each time he mentioned it was when he found a crumb on the floor. He was tempted to eat the left over food, but he knew he must keep looking out for Sarah. I liked how the author based the fictional story off a real dynamic duo named Perry and Sarah Gregory Smith. I liked how she incorporated a newspaper clipping from an article that read "guide dog leads blind person from Boston to New York" because that it one of the major events both the REAL Perry and Sarah accomplished together. This book is sweet and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Hanna Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Sarah and Perry are best friends like any dog and girl would be. However, their friendship is unique because, Perry is her guide dog since she is blind. This books gives insight on blind people and how important a dog is. This is based upon a true story about the miracle works of a guide dog and a blind person.
Evaluation: Personally, I loved this book and think it really showed a good insight of blind people. Plus, it gave me a whole new appreciation for guide dogs.
Teaching: I would use this along with my other disability books to help children appreciate other's differences.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is based on a true story. It is about a girl named Sarah and her guide dog Perry. This book shows how helpful Perry is to Sarahs life. Perry helps Sarah go about her everyday activities such as going to the market or taking a train ride and even simply playin in the park. Since Sarah is blind Perry is her eyes and helps her live her life. Perry is very loving and happy to help Sarah because he knows it is his job. I rated this book 4 stars because I think it is really great. It teaches children that animals are our friends and they are hear to help.

[Alyssa Dangerfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite children's books. This book tells the story of a blind woman named Sarah and her guide dog named Perry. During this book, Perry helps Sarah with daily activities like going to the grocery store and school. This book is great for exposing children to disabilities. I often think about seeing guide dogs in public. As most people know the rule of not touching the guide dogs, is to not distract them. I feel this is hard for children to understand, but reading this book would help children understand. Overall great book!

[Michael Morley · Rating 2 out of 5]

In true “nothing can stop you” fashion, Sarah is a blind musician who uses a service dog named Perry. The interesting part about this book is that it’s based on a true story, but it’s told from the perspective of Perry, not Sarah.
This story was heartwarming. Animal stories, especially dog stories typically tug at my heartstrings. This one specifically was one that I enjoyed as I witnessed the companionship and dedication that this dog had for his owner.

[Nikki Tuchek · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Looking Out for Sarah" is a wonderful story about the relationship between a girl, Sarah, and her magnificent dog. Sarah is blind, and she gets through life with her amazing dog. Her dog helps her and "looks out" for her, as she travels through life. This story teaches young children to be understanding of others' differences and that it is important to share a lending hand to those who may need it. This story depicts a beautiful relationship between a girl and her loyal, brilliant dog.

[Cory Guthrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one hit me close to home because I have an uncle who may soon need his own service dog and this book makes me realize this isn't the end for him and he could still live a happy life. I love how this portrays the fact that a disability isnt always the end of ones career but a way to learn new ways to overcome their disabilities and still have a life. I also enjoy how she was able to do what she loved even without her sight.

[Abby Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is very heartwarming and provides a look of how Sarah is guided by her dog Perry. Perry and Sarah go through the big adventure travelling from Boston to New York city, all while being guided by Perry. It gives the reader an inside look of how effective guide dogs are and how well they can protect their people

[Brandy]

Summary
Looking Out for Sarah is about Sarah's seeing-eye dog, Perry. He does everything that Sarah can't do because of her blindness. He helps Sarah's day to day life happen, make sure she doesn't get hurt throughout the day.

Evaluation
This is a sweet story about a seeing-eye dog Perry. I believe anyone would love this story because it's about a sweet dog and his owner.

Teaching Idea
A teacher could read this story when going over the topic of service people because this would work because Perry is a service dog helping Sarah out.

[Kelsey Kitchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book it shows how important and helpful that dogs can be and what it means when they have there vest on and working. This book shows that just because sarha can not see does not mean they shae can not do what others can. I just means that it is harder for her and she has to find other ways to do things.

[Mr. Canning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perry is a leader dog for the blind. The story is told from the dog's point of view. He guides his master around obstacles and keeps her safe. He goes to presentations and even went on walk across the country to promote blindness awareness. It's an okay book. The illustrations are nothing to get excited about. Based on a real life leader dog.

[Tess Armel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book goes a long way in showing just what people with disabilities really can do. Students can see just how capable people with disabilities are and learn to feel friendship instead of pity.

[Cymiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking care of Sarah is no small feat for guide dog Perry. A Schneider Family Book Award book.

[Jenna Jankowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a realistic fiction book about a guide dog named Perry and his owner, Sarah. A unique feature of this book is that is not told from Sarah's perspective on having a guide dog, but Perry's perspective on being a guide dog. I would give this book a B-.

[Mackenzie Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a service dog Perry and how Perry helps her blind owner Sarah. A cool story to talk about inclusion as well as showing that all people are capable no matter what.