James Herriot: A Veterinarian Storyteller For All Ages

Happy New Year, Dear Readers,

Thank you for your patience during our Christmas/Theophany break. We hope you celebrated the entire twelve days of Christmas with gusto.

Look what I just found on the free pile at our library book sale:

Moses the Kitten , illustrated by Peter Barrett, is one of James Herriot's simple and lovely animal stories for children. These tales are just full of wholesome goodness without a shred of sentimentality because they are taken from the true experiences of a country vet in Yorkshire, England. There are more single story editions available, some illustrated by Peter Barrett, some by Ruth Brown, both good illustrators:

Only One Woof; Smudge, the Little Lost Lamb; Oscar, Cat About Town; The Market Square Dog; The Christmas Day Kitten; and Bonny's Big Day.

The single story editions are easiest to handle for very young readers. However, you can also purchase the following collections which are perfect for reading aloud to your children. I personally love the illustrations by Leslie Holmes best of all: James Herriot's Cat Stories; James Herrriot's Dog Stories; James Herriot's Treasury for Children.

Not only for aspiring veterinarians, James Herriot's books for adults are perfectly suitable for your teens. Apart from many hours of reading fun, they will give your kids a perspective of the years before, during and after World War II from the British home front. You can buy the eight books separately or in this collection: The Complete James Herriot.