Kids love reading about animals, and in these wonderful picture books, imaginations will take flight just like Seven, the magnificent pigeon in the first book. They will learn about the perfidy of fish in the brilliantly hysterical book about not trusting fish, “Don’t Trust Fish.” Snakes and dogs and small creatures round out the animals we meet in these charming picture books. And a nonfiction series, “Meet the Wild Things,” brings unusual animals to our attention.
Continue reading
“What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird” is written by one of the world’s most famous writers of essays and books about animals. Sy Montgomery has written about hummingbirds, hawks, octopuses, pigs, moon bears, dolphins, tigers and more. She’s also written about Temple Grandin. Montgomery knows animals, and through her writing, we understand that she holds animals in high esteem. Her newest little book is about chickens; she raised them for decades.
Continue reading
Reading the title of this book, “Cowpuppy,” one might wonder what exactly Gregory Berns is writing about. To really understand this endeavor, you must read the fine print. “Cowpuppy: An Unexpected Friendship and a Scientist’s Journey into the Secret World of Cows” If you aren’t interested in animals, this is not a book for you. If you are worried that this is a book espousing veganism, Berns doesn’t do that, either. In fact, he admits to occasionally eating meat, and he feeds meat to his dogs. But he writes about his cattle from not just a scientist’s point of view, but as a behaviorist. His cows, we learn, are not just farm animals or tools, they are his friends.
Continue reading
While both these children’s picture books are historical fiction, they are both based on real occurrences. One is based on the actual court case when a Chinese American family wanted to send their daughter to school in California and fought in the courts for that right. The other is based on the experiences of Black women who, after centuries of not having rights, and decades of not being able to vote, finally went to the voting booth.
Continue reading
It’s difficult to write nonfiction that is so engrossing and relatable that it reads like fiction, yet that is just what veterinarian Dr. Amy Attas manages to do in her book “Pets and the City: True Tales of a Manhattan House Call Veterinarian.” This collection of anecdotes and personal history ranges from the why—the reason Attas wanted to become a veterinarian and how she accomplished that—to the many famous people who were/are her clients. From Joan Rivers to Billy Joel, we read about the connections that the uber rich and famous have with their pets. But we also read about those not in that stratosphere of economic wealth, and how money doesn’t dictate how much we love our four-legged (and sometimes three-legged) pets.
Continue reading
The owner of a petting zoo goes to buy a pig from a farmer. The farmer throws in the injured sibling, whose leg is hurt. The piglet won’t put weight on it and limps on the other three legs. The guy figures he’s buying the pig some time and maybe the leg will get better.
Three weeks later, at a farmer’s market, I noticed a petting zoo with farm animals and saw that one of the animals in a pen by itself was a baby pig. He was the size of a medium dog, about 30 pounds. I went to pet him and realized that he couldn’t walk on his left front leg. I asked the girl working there what was wrong with the leg. She explained, “It’s a rescue and he came that way.” I asked if he had been seen by a veterinarian, and when she responded in the negative, I asked if he was going to be seen by a veterinarian. The answer was no. Then I asked whether they would be checking out anyone who wanted to adopt the pig and was told that he was for sale for $50. “So it’s not a rescue, and anyone can buy him. Even if they just want him for bacon?” I asked. She replied in the affirmative.
Continue reading
Young children learn about the world around them from their parents and their friends, but also through the books that they read. Included here are books which explain that the world around us is filled with different people who might have different kinds of skin color, different body types, or different family structures. But at heart, we are all the same, and most of us want the same thing: to be loved for who we are. These books will reinforce those concepts, and each one has its own unique appeal.
Continue reading
Most of us who have dogs or cats know that animals play a lot; it’s a natural thing they do, and they do it with us, with other animals, or solely on their own. In “Kingdom of Play: What Ball-bouncing Octopuses, Belly-flopping Monkeys, and Mud-sliding Elephants reveal about Life Itself,” David Toomey explores how a multitude of animals play in nature, including, of course, dogs. This is not a light read, but rather a book that goes deep into the science of play, even the neuroscience and culture of play.
Continue reading
Biographic picture books serve multiple purposes; they not only teach children about special people, they can serve to inspire children by demonstrating the actions of others who may have overcome challenges, followed their passions, or shown a desire to change the world. In these picture books, children will learn about people who challenged traditions, people who fought to discover our history, and a woman who didn’t listen to what others thought women should do. We also learn about the people who saved an elephant in Vietnam and a man who wants to save the world.
Continue reading
Dr. Ian Dunbar, author of “Barking Up the Right Tree,” isn’t just a veterinarian. In addition to his veterinary degree and a PhD in dog behavior, he was the first to create puppy training classes using positive reinforcement. Dunbar’s future as a dog behaviorist seemed ordained since childhood. He has been training animals since he was five years old on the family farm in England. Now, after decades in dog training and studying dog behavior, and a reputation as one of the foremost dog training experts in the world, he is sharing what he has learned and what research shows about training and understanding our dogs.
Continue reading
Sometimes coincidences can be astounding. Last night I read the children’s picture book “Growing Up Under a Red Flag: A Memoir of Surviving the Chinese Cultural Revolution” written by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by Xinmei Liu. It’s a powerful book about how civil liberties flew out the door when Mao Zedong took over China and unleashed his Red Guard to terrify civilians into submission. The text is informative, very accessible, and appropriately shocking.
Continue reading
Each of these nonfiction picture books has something special to offer children. Most children love reading nonfiction picture books as a way to learn about the world around them, and even adults like me can learn new information from these books! Each book would make a fabulous addition to any classroom or home library.
Continue reading