A few more books today, in celebration of the conclusion of the 2016 Iditarod. Son and father Dallas and Mitch Seavey were the first two mushers to arrive in Nome. It is the fourth win for Dallas in five years. The year he didn't win, his father did!

A favorite musher of mine is Martin Buser (also a four time winner) so I was very pleased to discover his book Dog Man: Chronicles of an Iditarod Champion. I may even have been reading it when this years winner crossed under the burled arch. :-) I'm finding it hard to express just how much I enjoyed this book! It was one of those hard to put down reads and many chores were ignored. Just an amazing book! He tells the good events as well as the bad, his successes and failures and does so with wit and humor and in such a style that you will just keep reading page after page. His reason for when he became a U.S. Citizen is heart stirring as is just where he took the oath. His battles with sleep deprivation will make you laugh out loud and made me think of another favorite Iditarod book, Winterdance. (In my first post on February 8, 2014). I've always loved the connection he has with his dogs. The ending was perfect.

I hemmed and hawed, wavered several times, changed my mind ... but finally decided to include Musher's Night Before Christmas, by Tricia Brown and illustrated by Debra Dubac with this post, on the day the first runners arrived in Nome rather than waiting for Christmas. A witty retelling of the Clement C. Moore poem, it tells of Santa requesting help from a team of dogs when Nome is 'weather bound' and Rudolph's nose is fading. As with so many books for children, it's best when you read it out loud, even if it's just to your own dog. :-)

Reading Hermit With Dog