True Tales of Animal Heroes

by Allan Zullo

Presents stories about animals that have saved people's lives, including a dog who rescued children from a burning house, a cat who saved his owner's dog from a pit bull, and two dolphins that saved a girl from a shark attack. Original.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Childrens, Middle Grade, Memoir

127 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Allan Zullo is an American non-fiction writer. He is the author or co-author of more than eighty paperbacks for adults and children.

A native of Rockford, Illinois, Zullo graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1969 with a degree in journalism. His books include The Baseball Hall of Shame and Baseball Confidential (both co-written with Bruce Nash), A Boomer's Guide to Grandparenting (co-written with his wife Kathryn), and the Haunted Kids series. Zullo has also written articles for The National Enquirer, The Christian Science Monitor, Ladies Home Journal, and The Palm Beach Post. His syndicated comic strip "The Ghost Story Club" ran in American newspapers from 1995 to 1998.

Zullo currently lives in Fairview, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a fine collection, though - and I know they were building suspense here, but still - is there any reason to make sharks sound evil for hunting in the particular fashion that they do? None of the other predators here are described as "torturous" or "fiendish." In fact, the author goes out of his way to point out that pit bulls are not born vicious, which is certainly a point in the book's favor, but it makes the shark-villainizing stand out as an oddly judgy moment in an otherwise good kids' anthology.

[Jennifer Priester · Rating 5 out of 5]

More tales of animals becoming heroes that I would recommend to anyone who loves animals. In this book I didn't really have a favorite because I loved them all!

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that starts off with a strong Introduction that not all heroes are humans and a reminder that most views about animals aren't correct when they say that animals cannot feel or experience the world as we do. Furthermore the book also provides the reader with knowledge that names and places have been changed while some dramatization has been added to the stories while there are no included links or bios for readers to follow the information if they should want to learn more about some of these included events. For this section my only putout was the fact that the author chose to give the reader the "punchline" for a few of the more surprising stories without allowing the reader to find out how the events unfolded as they read.

True Tales of Animal Heroes is basically written for young adults - probably juvenile - so the stories are told straightforward and in very simple words to understand. At times the author also does add more educative information about an animal that is being talked about so the book does have a bit of an informative side as well but not enough to make readers set the book aside.

There are no illustrations for the book itself so again I would probably recommend this for juvenile readers who are comfortable without the illustrations or early high schoolers.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are eight stories in this collection, and each deals with an animal that intervened to either warn or save a human from grave danger. The creatures are dogs, cats, a horse, dolphins and a talking parrot. My favorite is when dolphins intervene to save a girl from being attacked by a shark. There is mention of the famous dolphin known as Pelorus Jack. It was a Risso’s dolphin that roamed in the French Pass, a very dangerous stretch of water. Jack was known as an accurate guide for ships to traverse the pass, as it would swim with the ship and guide it through the pass. It was so well known that if a ship arrived to go through the pass and Jack was not there, the ship would stop and wait. No ship escorted by Jack was ever lost.
Some of the stories are those that have been repeated, the animal that wakes humans when there is a fire, dogs that dive in water to save a drowning human and a cat that defended a fellow pet dog from the attack of a vicious dog. They are heartwarming stories that will release moisture from your tear ducts.

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of animal heroes is a great one for the younger set, although adults will find it interesting, too. The author writes in an engaging manner, and though it is nonfiction since all the accounts are true, he dramatizes the stories and adds dialogue, which is noted in the prologue, and this makes them more entertaining to his readers. Some of these animals are domesticated, but several are wild, which is really amazing.

[Breeze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. There were only two things I disliked: 1) the cliche "they didn't know it yet, but the animal will save your life" written in almost every chapter, and, 2) the kid who had a dream about a girl smoking and wanting a kiss from him. Please consider the age audience, that's all I have to say.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ticks off the last two reading challenges for the Booktube Read-A-Thon! Read a book entirely outside and read seven books! (Well, I completed seven books. One I had started reading before Booktube-A-Thon. But since this is my first thon, I'm allowing it).

[Brooke 8/9 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really good if you love animals I have loved animals all my life so I really enjoyed this book there are tons of stories in this book cat heroes dogs horses pigs and more. So i recommended reading this book if you love animals like me.

[Jessica Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book back in Elementary school and adored the stories of awesome animals doing incredible things. Now I still love the stories of these brave animals but find a laugh in the storytelling as well. A fun read.

[Skyla Matos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved True Tales of Animal Heroes. This book honestly would be in my top three books favorite books that I have read. Trust me if you love animals as much as I do you will love this book. I love the stories in each chapter.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very difficult read with tragedy in every chapter (by design) but so incredible to learn about these animals and how they saved lives. Recommend, but maybe not for HSPs! (Read aloud with my 8.5 year old twins)

[kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was left in my room, and i found it when my family moved into our house like six years ago. i remember this book and it’s so sweet to see animals protecting people. especially after how badly some people treat animals

[Reba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute stories any animal lover will love. Also great for kids. (All happy stories that end well.)

[Geddy Hirsche · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK book but kinda over dramatic.

[Yuridia Carmona]

I love this book!

[CaseyKS. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with my 8 year old son. The stories are amazing! We are both animal lovers so we were constantly wanting to read this book.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction book is truly amazing. Until I read this I had no idea how intelligent animals can truly be. Whether we realize it or not, they can really show how smart the are. People get attached to animals and visa versa. This strong relationship builds trust in one another and an animal can sense when there is danger, as shown in these stories. Animals have instincts, just like humans do, just a different type. The way that they can save people like this is just there when they need it the most.

I thought one of the best stories was about the two dolphins saving a girl from a shark attack. I never would have thought that just two dolphins could fight off something like a shark. By ramming into it multiple times they got it to leave. I have heard that dolphins are very intelligent animals, but it surprises me that they would be able to fight off a shark for a girl that they had never even met or seen before. They must have a lot of trust and can tell when someone is a good or bad person.

Another story that amazed me was the parrot warning the family about the alligator. It is common for certain types of parrots to be able to talk, but for one to actually recognize something on it's own and take action it is amazing. This parrot saved that entire families lives and really showed how brave animals can truly be. These two stories are just two of many, but if you research it you will come up with thousands of more incredible stories that will blow your mind.

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has some pretty amazing accounts in it. There are five that I remember off the top of my head. One of them involves a cat that a little girl finds and takes into her trailer home, only to have it protect her by attacking an intruder when she’s alone there one evening (I think it was storming out too). Another is about a couple of gorillas who were around when a little boy fell into their cage in the zoo and was knocked unconscious. They sniffed him curiously, and I think maybe touched or licked him, I can’t remember exactly. It got him to wake up. There were some elk that kept a lost camper warm in the snowy mountains, a horse that helped locate its lost rider, a parrot that made noise to warn some Floridians that there was an alligator in their home, and more that I’m failing to remember right now. It’s another great book that I’ll have to revisit sometime and that I’m a proud owner of. Some very well-spent money indeed.

Edit 3-24-21: A couple nights ago, I just reread the first story in there of a 14-year old boy who'd been stuck on a freezing mountain for a night, and would have died had it not been for the 2 giant wild elk that kept him warm by sleeping beside him. Animals are truly amazing and have so much to offer us if we just are open to learning about them.

[Jordan]

i think it is a good book to read.

[Rants and Bants · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember this being one of the old books in my seventh grade classroom that we could choose from when we had to read for silent reading. Favorite stories were the one where the cat fights off the intruder and the one where the gorillas comfort the frightened boy, both of which I remember from long ago. It's so interesting how one story can be told just when someone is six years old...by the way, that kid (if these are really real) is about my age now haha. I love animals...and I took my time reading this book, even though it could easily be finished in a day.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book.

Good stories.

I liked these books. I like Allan Zullo and I really like the stories in these books. I think all younger kids (Upper elementary, early middle school) These books are quick reads and quite intresting. (Even if the stories are exagerrated.) So if you like short animal stoires read these books.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Tales of Animal Heroes is an amazing book. One thing I love about this book is you don't have to read the chapters in order. What?...Ok say you love kittens you just look for the kitten chapter and read it. Each chapter is very easy and you don't have to read every chapter. The animals are what you get close to. You will love every story that each animal has created.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a short book with good stories.

[Damon]

These animals are really smart with there owners and with orther people

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so good!

[Jose Andres123 · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was very good i liked a lot the first part of the boy called bryan it was a miracle when his dog rescued him.

[Brie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cute read :)

[Violetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this as a kid! It's a compilation of some really inspiring stories of courageous animals who stepped in and saved peoples lives.

[Ashleigh Plante · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book a million times it shows how heroic animals can be.

[Jay Tee]

Worth a read, but I must admit that I wasn't really as indulged by it if you compare it to my favourites like Black Beauty.