Showing posts with label Animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animals. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Oogy by Larry Levin

Everyone who has visited So Many Precious Books, know what a sucker I am for all living being, cutie and furry, so how was I to resist this book. I took one look at the cover and fell in love with yet another dog, Oogy.

This memoir is about Oogy and the family who adopted him. He wasn't the first adoptee in his family. Larry Levin and his wife, Jennifer weren't able to have biological children so they adopted. They quite surprised when they got the call saying that the mother had given birth to twins. They named the boys Dan and Noah.

It was when Dan and Noah were 12 years old that Oogy came into their life. Larry and the boys had gone to the veterinarian with their ill cat and was greeted by Oogy. He inquired about him and found out that Oogy had been near death when he was brought in by the police after a drug raid. It turned out that he had been a "bait" dog. Used to train other dogs how to fight. Half his face was bitten of along with one of his ears. The fight dogs were suppose to kill him but they didn't quite succeed. Oogy was just a puppy then, only about three months old.

You would have thought that that experience would have affected him for life, become a mean dog himself but he loved people, and it was love at first site for both Oogy and the Levin's. He slept with the boys every night and watched over them. When the boys graduated high school he was there to see them go off to college.

I was worried when I started reading this book. So many books about pets end the same way but this one didn't. It was a heart warming tribute to Oogy and the family who still love him. It wasn't as sentimental as some stories I have read and for that I am thankful. The descriptions of Oogy's experience as a bait dog were painful to read but necessary. Larry Levin treated his entire family, including Oogy with respect.

If you have any suspicions of animal cruelty where you live, please learn from Oogy and call animal welfare immediately. Also, as Bob Barker says, "have you pets spayed or neutered."

4/5

Thanks to Anna Balasi of Hachette Book Group for sending me the hardcover edition of this book.

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Posted by Teddy Rose at 11:21 PM 14 comments  

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The World of the Polar Bear by Norbert Rosing


Product Description

The World of the Polar Bear is an unsurpassed photographic tribute to one of nature's most compelling and beautiful animals and to the world in which it lives. Here, in an unforgiving ecosystem, animals and birds come together in a delicate balance of life. Each year, thousands of people from around the world travel to Churchill, Manitoba, to see polar bears, northern lights, whales and the annual bird migrations.
But the king of the region is the polar bear, or Nanook, as it is known by the indigenous people. Superbly adapted for life in one of the most severe landscapes on Earth, the polar bear holds the record as the world's largest terrestrial carnivore: the female weighs up to 770 pounds, while the male can tip the scales at 1,500 pounds and stand 10 feet tall on its hind legs. 

Norbert Rosing is uniquely qualified to write about polar bears. His fascination with them began in 1983 on his first visit to Canada. After a 1,000-mile train trip from Winnipeg to Churchill, he arrived to find that a sudden arctic storm had transformed the town into an icy desert. Not only did his film freeze and break, but his camera stopped functioning permanently. 

However, Rosing did see his first polar bear. Fascinated by this magnificent white mammal, he now returns to the Arctic up to three times a year to study and photograph polar bears, and he has come to regard Churchill as his home away from home. 

This book is an amazing photographic tribute to polar bears.  It is not only a feast for the eyes but the writing is informative and a joy to read.  I learned a lot about polar bears and the landscape in which they live.  Did you know that a female weight up to 770 pound and a male up to 1500 pounds?  Norbert Rosing does an incredible job capturing these majestic beings on film.  This book would make a wonderful gift for nature lovers.

5/5

I won this book as part of the Canadian Book Challenge 4 from John of The Book Mine Set.  Thanks again for this special treat John, you, your challenge, and you blog all rock! 

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:02 PM 6 comments  

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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Ape House by Sara Gruen


Back in 2008 I wrote a five star review for Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants. I could hardly wait until she wrote her next novel. The wait is now over, Ape House was released in September. 

Sara Gruen will be appearing as a special event of the Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival, at 7:30 PM on November 4th.  Look for my post, covering the event, in November.

Ape House is really has three main intersecting story lines:

Isabel Duncan is a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab. Her "family" are the bonobos that she works with. She also has some major boyfriend trouble. There's the story of John Thigpen, a married reporter who interviews Isabel and the apes. His career is threatened and his marriage is in jeopardy. Then of course, there are the bonobos themselves, Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani, and Malkena. They are the center of the story and communicate with Isabel with American Sign Language.

An explosion happens at the lab and the bonobous escape, while Isabel is wounded and rushed to the hospital. All of a sudden a reality television show comes on the air featuring the bonobous. Isabel is determined to recover from her injuries and be united with her "family".

I found Ape House to be a fun and engaging read. It seems a bit more like "main stream" fiction than Water for Elephants but still has literary merit. I usually like quirky characters however, Nathan and Cecelia were a bit over the top for me and I really wanted interested in John's marital issues and Isabel's boyfriend issues.

The best part of the book was about the bonobous themselves. Gruen's research seems to be bang on and she captured my heart for the wonderful creatures that have so much in common with us, humans. I think the story would have been better if Guren would have focused more on the bonobous and less on the John and Isabel's personal issues.

3.5

Thanks so much to Julie Forrest of Random House Canada for this book.

Also reviewed by:

If you also reviewed this book, please leave a link in the comments.

To find out about real life bonobous visit the Bonobo Conservation Initiative.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:01 AM 6 comments  

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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Every Dog Has a Gift by Rachel McPherson

Every Dog Has a Gift is a compilation of true stories about dogs .who have nurtured people's lives. It is separated into four parts:

1. Dogs as Healers and Teachers
2.Dogs That Change Lives
3. Kids + Dogs= Magic
4. Getting Involved

The first three parts tell heart warming and inspiring stories of different dogs that have helped heal, rescue, and even teach people. For instance, did you know that there is a children's reading program that dogs participate in. Each child get to read a book to a dog. The dogs actually listen patiently and attentively. It has really encouraged children to read.

Dogs were not forced to do any of the things in these stories, they all willingly trained to do them. Just like you can't pretend to be someone's best friend, you choose to be.

The last part is a resource of how to get involved by being a handler of a therapy dog. It takes a lot of training and not all dogs are suited for the different jobs. There is listing of some of the different organizations that are out there and you will learn about Rachel McPerson's own organization, The Good Dog Foundation.

I quite enjoyed this book. Some of the stories were better than others, as in any collection. Most of them centered more on the people than the dogs, which was my biggest disappointment. However, this is still a good book for dog lovers.

3.5/5

Thanks to Kevin at Tarcher/Penguin and the Shelf-Awareness newsletter for this book.

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Have you reviewed this book? Please leave a link in the comments so I can include it.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:30 AM 2 comments  

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Friday, October 3, 2008

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein


Creative and Deeply Touching

Enzo knows he’s different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul, he has educated himself by watching TV and listening to his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver- Art of Racing in the Rain (Front Flap)
Enzo is convinced that he will come back in his next life as a man. On the last night of his death, he looks back on his life and the struggles that Denny had. The loss of his wife Eve and the custody battle for his daughter Zoe, against Eve’s wealthy parents. Enzo knows that he did his part to reunite the family and has the hope that Denny can still become a champion race car driver.

I received a copy of this as an advanced read from Harper Collins Canada. I was just about to start reading this book when my precious dog, Robbie died. Because of the nature of this book, I couldn’t get myself to pick it up until now. It was difficult for me to get through the parts where Enzo described his health and his passing. I had a good cry.

Garth Stein has an amazingly creative and fresh writing style. Using a dog, as narrator not only works, I don’t think the book could have been written any other way.

This may sound like it has the potential to be saccharin sweet and I must confess it has a little bit of that. The ending was also quite predictable, however, don’t let these little "flaws" keep you from this book. There are moments of great sadness, moments that are laugh out loud funny, and moments of great joy. This book is a gem!

Thanks to Harper Collins Canada for an advance reader’s copy of this amazing book and for their patience and understanding.

5/5

Also Reviewed By:
The BlueStocking Society

Posted by Teddy Rose at 7:18 PM 23 comments  

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Saturday, June 21, 2008

Tabasco the Saucy Raccoon By Lyn Hancock




A Zesty Story about a Spicy Animal






Almost 30 years ago Lyn Hancock was asked to be mother to a newborn raccoon. He was three weeks years old and she to bottle-feed and nurture this cute little being.

At the time, she was attending Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC Canada.
She has a tiny "no pets" apartment, but somehow she manages. As Tabasco grows, he goes with Lyn across the country on tour. He makes friends very easily, just about everyone falls in love with him.

When they return home, he is ready to explore his world. Lyn has a hard time letting go, but understands that he is wild and should be free. However, this is easier said then done. This is Lyn's story of the year she spent as Tabasco’s "mother".

This book is for 9-12 year olds, but I think any animal lover will enjoy it. I sure did! It was fun to see Tabasco grow up and see what he would get himself into (he got into a lot). Lyn made me fall in love with Tabasco.
4/5

If you have also reviewed this book on your blog, please leave a link to it in the comments and I will be glad to add your link to the end of this review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:53 PM 6 comments  

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Sunday, May 18, 2008

Chloe Anne: Force of Nature by Valerie Oblath





Fun Cat Memoir for Cat Lovers


This is Chloe Anne’s memoir, written for her by her mother Valerie Oblath.

Poor Chloe Anne, her family is moving and gave her to the Humane Society. She lives in a little cage until her new mom and author, Valerie Oblath adopts her. Chloe Anne loves her new home and cat sister, Cinders. Her new mother is very good and patient with her. Chloe Anne shares with us insights into her new family and her escapades.

This is a fun and entertaining romp with a real-life cat. However, since Chloe Anne lives with a Jewish mother, there is one chapter that makes a lot of references to Jewish Holidays and some of the customs. Some readers, who do not know much about these, may not get a few of the references. None the less, this is a great book for most cat lovers.

4/5

Thanks to Three C's Publishing for an advance copy of this book!

Note to my fellow bloggers who also reviewed this book: If you would like me to link your review at the bottom of my review, please leave a comment with the link to your review.


Posted by Teddy Rose at 5:41 PM 6 comments  

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Friday, January 11, 2008

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen




I was Hooked from Page One of this Delightful Novel!



During the Great Depression, Jacob, age 23, is in the middle of taking his veterinary medical exam and leaves, handing in a blank test. He wonders and ends up jumping on a train. Unknown at the time of his jumping, it is a circus train. He joins the circus as a veterinarian and the story really takes off from there!

The story shifts seamlessly back and forth from present day Jacob, age 93, living in a nursing home to the 23 year old Jacob. He tells of his colorful experiences with the circus and his two great loves, Marlena a performer and Rosie, an elephant. The human-animal bond shines through.

Sara Gruen really did her research for the circus lore of this amazing historical novel. The author’s note at the end of the book and the circus terminology that she uses, proves this. She portrayed this sad time in history with respect for all those who struggled.

The characters are larger than life with Gruen’s elegant prose. At times gut wrenching and at times laugh out loud funny this novel is a must read. This is the first time I have read anything by Sara Gruen and it won't be the last.

If I could only own one book for the rest of my life, this would be it!
5/5


Also Reviewed at:
Just Another Blogger
ReadingAdventures
Maw Books
An Adventure in Reading

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:28 PM 30 comments  

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