Review Detail

The Unlikely Tale of Chase & Finnegan is based on the real-life Cheetah Ambassador program at the Cincinnati Zoo that pairs cheetahs with rescue dogs. This story is told in alternating perspectives from Chase, the baby cheetah, and Finnegan, the rescue dog.
Both animals are highly anthropomorphized in this tale, which allows them to understand human speech and each other. This is a nice literary tool for younger middle-grade readers to gain empathy for these animals because their thoughts and motivations are so human.
The length of chapters, overall book, and the straightforward plot make this book great for readers transitioning to longer chapter books. The humanization of the animals and supporting links and facts in the back help readers know next steps they can take to help Cheetahs.
Overall, the story is sensitive to anxiety and emphasizes that we all make mistakes, and that does not make us bad. Themes of found family and forgiveness of self, make this tender story widely appealing. This story is a great read-alike for fans of Holly Webb’s Pet Rescue Adventures series