Warrior Dog (Young Readers Edition): The True Story of a Navy SEAL and His Fearless Canine Partner

by Joe Layden, Will Chesney

Overview

Two dozen Navy SEALs descended on Osama bin Laden’s compound in May 2011. After the mission, only one name was made public: Cairo, a Belgian Malinois and military working dog. Warrior Dog is the story of Cairo and his handler, Will Chesney, a member of SEAL Team Six whose life would be irrevocably tied to Cairo's, specially adapted for young readers from Chesney and Joe Layden's No Ordinary Dog.

Starting in 2008, when Will was introduced to the canine program, he and Cairo worked side by side, depending on each other for survival on hundreds of critical operations in the war on terrorism. But their bond went beyond their military service.

As Cairo aged and went on fewer missions, Will moved on to other assignments, forced to slowly—and painfully—distance himself from the dog. Then, in 2011, the call came: Pick up your dog and get back to Virginia. Now.

Cairo and Will trained for weeks for a secret mission, but it soon became clear that this was no ordinary operation. Cairo was among the first members of the U.S. military on the ground in Pakistan as part of Operation Neptune Spear, which resulted in the successful elimination of bin Laden.

As Cairo settled into a role as a reliable “spare dog,” Will went back to his job—until a grenade blast in 2013 left him severely injured. Unable to participate in further missions, he tried to recover, medicine provided only modest relief. Instead, it was up to Cairo to save Will's life once more—and then up to Will to be there when Cairo needed him the most.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250244918
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	06/30/2020
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Lexile:	780L (what's this?)
File size:	25 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

WILL CHESNEY served as a SEAL Team operator and dog handler. He participated in Operation Neptune Spear, which resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Chesney received a Silver Star and a Purple Heart, and now helps veterans who have suffered traumatic brain injury.

JOE LAYDEN is an award-winning journalist and freelance writer whose work has been honored by the New York Newspaper Publishers Association, the National Associated Press Sports Editors, the New York State Associated Press Association, and the International Reading Association/Children’s Book Council.
Mr. Layden has written or co-written more than thirty books for adults and children, including the long-running New York Times bestseller As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride.

JOE LAYDEN is an award-winning journalist and freelance writer whose work has been honored by the New York Newspaper Publishers Association, the National Associated Press Sports Editors, the New York State Associated Press Association, and the International Reading Association/Children’s Book Council.

Mr. Layden has written or co-written more than thirty books for adults and children, including The Last Great Fight and The Ghost Horse.

WILL CHESNEY served in the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group as an operator and dog handler. He participated in Operation Neptune Spear, which resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Chesney received a Silver Star and a Purple Heart, and now helps veterans who have suffered traumatic brain injury.

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2020

Gr 4–8—Written in smooth first-person narration, this book tells the often sad story of Chesney and his best friend Cairo, a 70-pound Belgian Malinois. Chesney, who had been a SEAL for most of his six years in the Navy, became the handler of Cairo, a military working dog (MWD). Chesney and Cairo trained together, along with Chesney's team, and became a cohesive duo. In addition to conducting reconnaissance missions and searching for hidden explosives, Cairo was trained to find and attack any enemies who were a potential threat to the team. In 2008, Chesney and Cairo were ordered to Virginia for special training. The purpose of this mission was to capture and/or kill Osama bin Laden. The book's narrative eventually focuses on how Chesney helped nurse Cairo back to health and active duty after he was seriously injured by enemy fire. Cairo's deployments dwindled until he was reclassified as a spare MWD. Chesney's deployments continued to put him in harm's way until he got a severe back injury from a grenade blast in 2013. Though Chesney healed, he was seldom without pain. His best therapy turned out to be Cairo. VERDICT An excellent choice for readers who enjoy stories about military working dogs. Pair with Nancy Roe Pimm's Bonded by Battle: The Powerful Friendships of Military Dogs and Soldiers, from the Civil War to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Rebecca Frankel's War Dogs: Tales of Canine Heroism, History, and Love.—Eldon Younce, Anthony Public Library, KS

School Library Journal