This week’s Book Buzz list highlights some tail-wagging animal reads, so perhaps you’ll forgive us as we get into the spirit. We have it from the horse’s mouth that the lion’s share (6 of 10) American families have a pet.
This week’s Book Buzz list highlights some tail-wagging animal reads, so perhaps you’ll forgive us as we get into the spirit. We have it from the horse’s mouth that the lion’s share (6 of 10) American families have a pet.
Furthermore, Americans go whole hog spending $41 billion on their beasts in 2007. If you hoof it to your neighborhood library you will find the pets section well stocked with horse, dog, cat, bird, fish and other animal books on how to select, name, feed, train and enjoy your pets responsibly.
For this list we have separated the sheep from the goats, ferreting out a selection of books about extraordinary pet experiences. You may think I’ve got bats in the belfry, but seriously, folks, consider these reads. They are, as they say, the cat’s meow.
Happy Reading.
All My Patients Have Tales: Favorite Stories From a Vet’s Practice
By Jeff Wells, D.V.M.
636.08909 We
A charming and humorous collection of personal experiences with animals; another winning veterinary memoir deserving of space next to the immortal James Herriot series starting with All Creatures Great and Small. Also, Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon by Nick Trout takes us on his daily rounds and we are lucky enough to go along for the literary ride.
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
By Vikki Myron
636.80929 My
The story of how a bedraggled orange fur ball became “Dewey Readmore Books,” an enchantingly irresistible library mascot capable of bringing international attention to a small Midwestern town and melting the heart of even the most curmudgeonly visitor. This tale is uplifting enough; but woven among the cute-cat anecdotes are Myron’s own inspirational stories of enduring welfare, the abuses of an alcoholic husband, breast cancer, and single motherhood in a beguiling, poignant, and tender tale of survival, loyalty, and love.
The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood
By Sy Montgomery
636.40887 Mo
The author adopts a runt pig, names him Christopher Hogwood, and brings him to her New Hampshire farm. The book chronicles her love for and life with the 750-pound pig and bears testament to the lessons learned through her 14-year relationship with him. We witness an enjoyment of life’s bounty as only a pig can experience-with utter abandon. Delightful anecdotes blend with facts about animal behavior, natural history, geography, and culture with myths, legends, and a large helping of adventure. Also try The Inner World of Farm Animals: Their Amazing Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Capacities by Amy Hatkoff or The Whole Hog: Exploring the Extraordinary Potential of Pigs By Lyall Watson.
The Gospel According to Sam: Animal Stories for the Soul
By William Miller
636.70887 Mi
A collection of “animal stories for the soul” written by Lihue’s new priest at St. Michaels and All Angels Episcopal Church. Miller’s Airedale “Sam” survived a house fire that burned off his ears but couldn’t extinguish his spirit. The pet then became a vehicle for healing, humor, adventure, spiritual growth and prayer for Miller and his parishioners. His meditations feature not just dogs, but birds, pigs, squirrels, rabbits, fish, bugs, and even yaks. Merle’s Door: Lessons From a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote explores how sharing leadership with your dog, rather than being its alpha can help to create a healthier, more self-reliant, and better-socialized companion. For a contrasting style try A Member of the Family: Cesar Millan’s Guide to a Lifetime of Fulfillment with Your Dog.
Izzy & Lenore: Two Dogs, an Unexpected Journey, and Me
By Jon Katz
636.7374 Katz
The latest dog book from Katz in his gentle, folksy style in which newly adopted “Izzy” and he work with hospice patients. Katz’s earlier dog books, however, get better reviews. You can also try Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson’s Dogs Never Lie About Love; Reflections on the Emotional World of Dogs or Patricia McConnell’s For the Love of A Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend.
A Lion Called Christian: The True Story of the Remarkable Bond between Two Friends and a Lion
By Anthony Bourke and John Rendall
599.757 Bo
A 2008 YouTube film sensation captured the moving reunion of two young men and their pet lion Christian, after they had left him in Africa to introduce him into his rightful home in the wild. The book, fully revised and updated since its original publication in 1971, is a touching and uplifting true story of an indelible human-animal bond. For another king-of-beasts story try Zamba: The True Story of the Greatest Lion That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer.
Tall Blondes: A Book About Giraffes
By Lynn Sherr
599.638 Sh
A felicitous blend of history, biology and anthropology that starts in prehistoric times and runs to the present. Sherr describes the giraffe’s remarkable physiology and its gentle nature. She tells amusing stories of famous giraffes. Nearly half of the book consists of giraffe-related quotations from travelers, historians, scientists, hunters and others. We learn that there are nine subspecies of giraffes (they can interbreed), that the giraffe is highly sociable, and what its chief predators are.
Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human
By Elizabeth Hess
636.9885 He
Another book about the strange, fruitful, and fraught relationship between humans and animals. This unforgettable biography of an extraordinary chimpanzee actually tells us more about our own species, including some things we may not want to know.
One Nation Under Dog: Adventures in the New World of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog-Park Politics and Organic Pet Food
By Michael Schaffer
636.70973 Sc
Astute and amusing, this investigative report offers a journey into the $41-billion-a-year world of the modern American pet illuminating the political, social, and economic aspects of our devotion to our animal companions. Ultimately, it is not about our pets – but about ourselves.
Saved: Rescued Animals and the Lives They Transform
By Karin Winegar
636.0832 Wi
Keep the hankies handy. This is a beautifully illustrated and moving collection of true stories that highlight the bonds formed between orphaned, abused, and abandoned animals and the people who rescue them. Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover’s Story of Joy and Anguish by Mark R. Levin is another tale of love between a family and a dog. “In the end,” Levin says, “we humans are the lucky ones.”
Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
By Stacey O’Brien
598.97 OB
This book will stretch your notions about the limits of interspecies communication and love.
An honest, good-humored, vivid, and revealing account of the rich and complex life of a barn owl. O’Brien has captured the essence of the soul of an unforgettable individual bird. Affectionate, quirky, joyous, and wise, Wesley reveals the Way of the Owl — the way to God and grace.
• Carolyn Larson is head librarian at Lihu‘e Public Library. Her weekly column brings you the buzz on new, popular and good books available at your neighborhood library. Book annotations are culled from online publishers’ descriptions and published reviews.
