Rescue and Jessica

“An inspiring tale of compassion and perseverance.” —Booklist (starred review)

Rescue thought he’d grow up to be a Seeing Eye dog, but when he gets the news that he’s better suited to being a service dog, he’s worried that he’s not up to the task. Then he meets Jessica, a girl whose life is turning out differently than the way she’d imagined it, too. Now Jessica needs Rescue by her side to help her accomplish everyday tasks. And it turns out that Rescue can help Jessica see after all: a way forward, together, one step at a time.

Based on a real-life partnership, this 2019 Schneider Family Book Award Winner features an endnote from the authors about service dogs, including their real-life best friend and black lab, Rescue.

About the Authors

Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes were married in 2012 and were injured during the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Rescue joined them several months later. Their story has been featured by many national media outlets as well as in feature films and documentaries, and their inspiring efforts to educate the public by sharing their personal stories of healing have touched millions of people around the world.

About Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship, their first picture book, they say, “We hope this story inspires you to celebrate others the way we have been celebrated. Making this book has been therapeutic, and we hope you enjoy the story as much as we enjoyed telling it.” They live in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

About the Illustrator

Scott Magoon has been designing, writing, and illustrating books for young readers since 2003. He lives in Reading, Massachusetts.