James Herriot
The James Herriot series of books is not new and so I am hoping that readers won’t be disappointed by my choosing to review these books this month. I had actually temporarily forgotten about them when I came across some information about Jennifer Worth, author of Call the Midwife, who came to the call as “a midwife somewhere to do for midwifery what James Herriot did for vets”.
Reading his name immediately took me back to the small town of Darrowby in the Yorkshire Dales where James Herriot, a British veterinary surgeon, practiced as a country vet. His tales of the animals he encountered (along with their owners) are mostly humorous, sometimes sad, always interesting and very addictive. I have re-read his books many times and I know that I will continue to do so.
His ventures out into the countryside are never dull and often involve him stripped to the waist trying to deliver a calf in the middle of winter with no help and only a bucket of cold water and a bed of straw. On the other extreme he then has Tricki Woo, an overweight Pekinese, who has his own stationary, butler and parties and often experiences a condition his owner has termed ‘flop bot’.
The stories are semi-autobiographical and so intermingled with his tales of his patients are those of how he met his wife and started a family.
His books have been adored by hundreds over the years and if you have never read any of them (or even heard of him) I urge you to buy a copy of one of them and give it a try, you won’t be disappointed. They are also available on kindle and are easy to pick up and put down so are ideal for a mom on the go.
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin; Reissue edition (February 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250063493
ISBN-13: 978-1250063496
Image courtesy amazon.com
Pip and Posy – Nosy Crow and Axel Scheffler
Most of you will have seen (if you don’t already own) a copy of The Gruffalo and so you will immediately recognize that the illustrations in this little book have also been done by Axel Scheffler. As with his other works, this book is beautifully illustrated with simple, colourful characters that your little ones will love.
Pip has a scooter that he loves but his friend Posy wants to ride it. She rides it for ages and just when Pip is getting cross Posy falls and hurts herself. This is a delightful little book and is a nice way to introduce concepts like sharing, saying sorry and looking after your friends to your younger children.
I like that it is a board book and so it is easy for small fingers to turn the pages and it is short enough to hold their attention long enough to finish the book.
Age Range: 2 – 5 years
Series: Pip and Posy
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Nosy Crow (December 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0763658774
ISBN-13: 978-0763658779
Image courtesy amazon.com