School Library Journal Starred Review

K-Gr 3--Blake escorts readers over the 1151 miles of the actual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race course, following in the pawsteps of his fictional heroine, Akiak, an aging team leader running it for the last time. The arctic-toned oils and the endpaper maps give strong visual support to the text as readers share Akiak's frustration at being pulled from the event due to a sore paw and cheer her escape to follow her team. Alone, she trails them for five days, deflects them from a false trail, and rides triumphantly into Nome to the cheers of the crowd, proudly perched on the sled. The care and support facilities for the dogs should reassure anyone's concern over the animals' welfare in this grueling race, and the fine illustrations give a properly frigid impression of the vast distances and inhospitable landscape to be traversed. Team Akiak with Gary Paulsen's Dogteam (Delacorte, 1993) and Patricia Siebert's Mush! (Millbrook, 1992) and children will have a clear understanding of the passionate enthusiasm to pull bred into the heart of every dog who has ever run the Iditarod.--Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

ALA Booklist (Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 1997)

You'll be missing out if you think this story begins after the title page. In fact, Day One of Blake's Iditarod race tale comes before the author credits, which may cause little ones a bit of confusion. After that, however, things straighten out, and children are treated to an exciting adventure with a canine protagonist. A few of the book's paintings are quite striking, especially the jacket illustration with its close-up view of the proud sled dog Akiak. And Blake has made it easy for children to distinguish Akiak from her fellow sled dogs and to grasp both the frozen beauty and the remoteness of the 1,151-mile Iditarod course across Alaska. This is the sort of story that will immediately involve kids and keep them riveted till the end. An endnote explains something about the race, and the book's endpapers feature maps of the route. (Reviewed Sept. 1, 1997)

Horn Book (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 1997)

Akiak, a ten-year-old sled dog, is making her final attempt at the Iditarod with her female musher, Mick. Injured and removed from the team, Akiak resists being sent home and races the trail alone, catching up with Mick and riding triumphantly across the finish line as a passenger in the sled. This naturalistic account of a dog's determination is enhanced by evocative oil paintings depicting the snowy Alaskan landscape.

Kirkus Reviews

From Jack London's Call of the Wild to Gary Paulsen's many tales, the relationship between humans and dogs as they face the harsh northern climes has captivated readers. Recapitulating that theme is Blake's story of the 1,151-mile Iditarod from Anchorage to Nome; Mick's lead dog is Akiak, who pounds through wind and across snow, never getting lost. Then, on Day Four, ice jams up one of Akiak's pawpads and she is taken out of the race and almost flown home. She twists free of her handler before the plane takes off, pushes through blizzards and past checkpoints, sticking to the trail and eventually meeting up with Mick; according to the rules, Akiak cannot be harnessed up again but she does prevent her mistress from taking the wrong trail before climbing aboard the sled for the ride to a first-place finish. Blake's naturalistic icy blue paintings chronicle Akiak's independent race across lone landscapes, burrowing in snowdrifts for shelter and escaping well-meaning trail volunteers. The rugged style translates well from the ocean setting of Spray (1996) to the untamed Alaskan terrain; the textured slathers of oil paint in repeated cold tones are perfect for icy plains, tracks in the snow, and rooftop icicles. Akiak's efforts may not constitute life-and-death drama, but young readers will cheer the heroic dog on in this satisfying outdoor adventure. (Picture book. 5-10)"

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This fictional tale chronicles the 10-day Iditarod run for a veteran lead dog running her final race. According to <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW, "Narrative and artwork pull equal weight to give readers a memorable ride." Ages 5-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Oct.)