5 comments about Martin's Mice.

1. This story is mainly about a cat named martin. He wasent like other cats the reason being that he didnt like to eat mice. He really adored mice he thought they would make good pets. He would keep them in a bathtub in the loft.Martins mom (Dulcie Maude) wants martin to eat mice but martin just cant. One day Dulcie Maude was about to eat the mice but martin protected them. Dulcie Maude was really upset that his own sun would do that so she left home crying. Martin told the mice to try to stay away from the house were he liked because then they would be eaten.The mice agreed to whatever martin said. The mice could smell somthing really good but it was coming from the house they really didnt want to go but they were really hungry. They decided to go and when they were about to reach the house Martin saw that his sister(Lark)and his brother (Robin) were hiding under the bushes. Martin ran to protect the mice and he also made his brothers get along with the mice. When he told his brothers that the mice were his friends they decided to be friends with them to. The mice could now be anywere they wanted without any fear.



2. Martin's Mice is a great book.I enjoyed reading it.Martin does many funny and silly things, like keep mice as pets.
   Nina
   3rd Grade Student



3. MARTINS MICE IS A WONDERFUL STORY . IF YOU READ IT YOU WILL NOW FAST LIKE A SPEEDING BULLET . IT HAS FUNNY PICTURES AND THREMENDOUS PARTS . ITS VERY FUNNY IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. BY - J R



4. This would be a great book for reading aloud to kids--there's a lot of witty bits to keep adults chuckling to themselves.



5. I was in second grade the first time I read Martin's Mice. I loved it so much that I read it over and over, year after year, (lol, I think I did about 4 different book reports on it!) It really is a wonderful story for all ages.

1 comments about Cat-titudes to Live By.

1. I love cats and I love Rachael Hale's photography, so this was a perfect match! Each page has a lovely color photograph of cats or kittens accompanied by one word and an appropriate quote. For example, there's a photograph of a cat with a mouse sitting atop it's head and the companion word is "Trust." "The supreme happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved," stated by Victor Hugo. The word "Success" is side-by-side with a photo of a cat sporting large eyeglasses. "Forget about all the reaons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will," by Dr. Robert Anthony.
   
   In short, if you need a little inspiration and a smile, this is the book for you.

5 comments about Windrusher.

1. I didn't plan on reading Windrusher nor did I think I'd like it, but somehow Victor DiGenti's style caught me and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's about a cat who goes to find his human family after he's given away because they move. He makes a long trek down the eastern seaboard to Florida to find them with help of his cat friends and their psychic communication called the Inner Ear.
   
   Check this book out. I think it'll surprise you.



2. Windrusher does for cats what J.R R. Tolkien did for hobbits. It's a tale of a cat on a mission that's suffused with the mystical power of cats in ancient Egypt. It's very inspiring, as Windrusher surmounts one unbelievable obstacle after another on a long journey, and, at times, it's just heartbreaking. You really can identify with the characters. Di Genti's verbal pallette of words paints vivid pictures in your mind's eye that makes it seem like you're IN the story, and not just reading it. I'd recommend it highly.



3. I generally am very happy with Amazon's service but I ordered this book and the sequel on September 27th, 2006. I received the sequel soon thereafter. This book I still have not seen. I am sure the book itself is delightful but the service is appalling. Do not believe that it will be delivered in "3 - 6 weeks". Amazon can not seem to deliver on this book. I will have to shop elsewhere at least for this title.



4. As a cat owner myself, I have high expectations when I read kitty stories. I was hooked the moment I opened Windrusher and read the first words of the novel: "Stuffed into a cage. Again." By the time I finished reading the passage, I was feeling claustrophopic and more than a little guilty about having to take my own cat to the Vet next morning. Didn't Hemingway once say that the primary objective of a writer is to make the reader feel? The rest of the book, if possible, achieved that objective even better than the first page. Overall, I found Windrusher to be a funny, well-written and fur-prisingly imaginative read, laden with insight about human and feline nature. I just ordered the next book in the series. (If I were a cat, I would like to be just like Wind). Kudos to Mr. DiGenti!



5. The connections made between the animal and human world as it relates to values was so vivid that when sharing this book with children it was clear to them what making decisions can lead to.

5 comments about Good Owners, Great Cats.

1. This is a fabulous book! I had a good cat to start, but I wanted to understand her better. Brian and Sarah's book helped me understand what my cat was trying to tell me with her body language. Consequesntly, my cat has become more outgoing when people come over. In addition, this book was the main reason I was able to keep the peace when I brought a new dog home.

   I read some other animal training books, and this book manages to cover the core of what you really need to know about cats better than the rest. I liked it so much, I also purchased Good Ownners, Great Dogs - which is also the best in its field.




2. A very thorough book on one of America's favorite companions! Great pictures and information. It made a wonderful gift for a friend too!! I highly recommend it! "Good Owners, Great Cats" and GreatPets.com - where else do you need to go to find out about cats?!



3. I am a brand new cat owner and so I checked out 3 books from the local library, this being one of them. In reading each of the books, I realized that "Good Owners, Great Cats," almost always had the best, most common-sense advice written in a very "no holds barred" way. Kilcommons doesn't mince words and he's very opinionated, but his opinions seem to be right on the mark. I've only owned dogs in the past, and without reading this book I think that I would be clueless in how to train/discipline a cat. In the few short weeks that I've had the cat and the book (which I've purchased) I've used its hints and advice innumerable times.



4. My husband and I recently adopted a fearful/shy dog from a local canine rescue group. The group recommends this book to "new" parent(s). This book has given me some great advice in understanding, owning, and training a dog, as well as, how my behavior/attitudes/emotions affect the dog's confidence. Originally, I checked this book out from a local library; I am going to purchase this book to have as a general reference.



5. I really like Kilcommon's advice on behavioral issues and methods to train cats. His advice has a slightly different angle than what you will find in a cat book by a vet. One point he makes, which I strongly disagree with, is his advice that if you can't tame a feral cat, have it euthanised. I presume he wrote this out of ignorance, since TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) wasn't widespread ten years ago, but since then has become the best and most widely accepted way to manage feral cats. They can live perfectly happy and healthy lives outside if they are spayed, neutered and cared for. Other than this, a solid book and good addition to cat care information.

5 comments about From the Cat's Point of View.

1. This book promises something that it can't deliver. There are so many gaps in this book that I was left with dozens of unanswered questions.

   Additionally, this book seems outdated. There are better cat books available now that offer much more accurate, up-to-date information on how a cat's mind works.




2. When this book arrived, I wondered to myself if it was worth the money spent on it-- it seems like too narrow a volume to have good information. Was I ever wrong. This book is not a comprehensive cat care book; it never promised to be (other people who are disappointed by this should have known better). It does, however, deal with behavioral problems and is written in such a clear concise way that I didn't realize I had read over half the book in one sitting until I set it down. Tips for how to deal with the cat-- the description on booby traps alone-- make this a worthwhile purchase. One of two books recommended to me by the Ohio State University's Veterinary School, I highly recommend it, even for people who have had cats for a long time.



3. The book is quite helpful. We gave it as a gift - greatly appreciated and joyously received.



4. I bought this book because a friend of mine recommended it would be good to help me with my cats getting used to the new puppy that we got. One of the cats just wasn't accepting that there was a puppy in the house and after working on trying to train the puppy with the Cesar Millan books, I decided to try a cat book and see how it would go. The book is good at giving you an idea into what your cat is thinking and why they do the things they do. I learned a lot about the quirky things my cats do. It is a quick and easy read.



5. I recommend this short, entertaining book to most of my clients. For the new cat owner, it provides many helpful tips to understand our finicky feline friends. For folks who have owned many cats, the book helps to explain kitty mysteries such as house soiling, scratching, play biting, and many other common behaviors. This book helps owners understand that cats do not act out of spite, but are simply reacting in normal feline fashion to man-made obstacles in their path. From the cat's point of view we share their space, not vice versa!

4 comments about Saunders Manual of Small Animal Practice, Third Edition.

1. A book which explores the small animal Veterinary field, uses simple and clear explainations to many different issues in that field. As a student for Veterinary Medicine in the clinical stage, I open the book very often. the book is very readable and friendly for students which their first language is other than English (unlike many others we all know).

   You must have it !!!




2. A very handy tome of immense value in the stress situation for quick information as well as for in depth study to bone up on latest techniques and those possibly a bit rusty. I can strongly recommend this, it is excellent value. I would want a more updated model though and hope for a new edition soon--I hope the authors are reading this?



3. After using many different references for the first half of my internship, this is the book I most often reach for now. The information is as user friendly as the 5 Minute Consult (an improvement here), and more up to date. There are many, many helpful tables and figures,and the addition of a formulary in the back is welcome. While no book can provide all the answers, I find 90% of them in here. My only complaint is the coverage of emergency care could be tweaked. In critical care situations, when I need information regarding a particular emergency in a hurry, this is not the book I turn to first.



4. i think this is perfect book to get comprehensive knowledge for NAVLE exams,NBVME list of diseases are best discussed in this book i strongly recomend foriegn vets to read this book.
   FAISAL ZIA.

5 comments about Gift For Abuelita / Un regalo para Abuelita: Celebrating the Day of the Dead/En celebracion del Dia de los Muertos.

1. This coming together of a writer's story & the visions of an illustrator is perfect. A simple tale of sorrow, change, love & healing. There are skills & ideas tucked away inside this gift: of a child's grief over the death of her grandmother & of the everyday things they did together & how her people celebrate their loved ones memories with gifts & prayers.

   A Gift for Abuelita/Un regalo para Abuelita is a treasure to be read again & again not just for the story. It is rich in detailed illustrations & the marriage of two languages telling the same story is a fine addition. For my full review do check out: [my website]




2. I purchased this book because of the outstanding, noteworthy illustrations and fell in love with the sensitivity of the text. I live in a community where the Day of the Dead is celebrated locally. I own several fiction and non-fiction books on the topic, which I use in my primary grade classroom. While other non-fiction children's books on the Day of the Dead do a better job of explaining what happens during this celebration, this is the only book I have found that explains on an emotional level why one would want to celebrate one's dead relatives.
   
   Although the relationship between Rosalita and her grandmother is established too quickly to cause the reader any distress when she dies on the third page of the text, Rosalita's dilemma is made clear. She works through the process of remembering and grieving her "abuelita" (grandmother). She thinks about what she can place on the family altar to symbolize her relationship with her deceased grandmother. She wonders what it will feel like when her grandmother's spirit returns on the Day of the Dead. How she resolves these questions will beautifully explain to anyone outside of the culture why those who celebrate this holiday take the time to remember.



3. This book is great for readers learning spanish or english. It has beautiful illustrations, and a great story that is based on an event that most children will have to face. The celebration of the day of the dead brings people closer to those who have passed away, and is a great idea to give to children.
   Este libro es muy bueno para lectores más jovenes para aprender inglés o español. Tiene dibujos bonitas, y un gran cuento que es sobre un evento que muchos niños tendrán. La celebración del Dia de los Muertos traiga los personas muy cercas a los personas que son muertos, y es una buena idea dar los niños.



4. This book blends beautiful illustrations of artistic collages, with a touching story told from a young girl's perspective of losing her grandmother, and trying to find the perfect way to honor her beloved 'abuelita' on the Day of the Dead.
   Teaching at middle school in a community of growing numbers of hispanics this story has helped teach cultural traditions to my students in a unique way. In reading this story along with videos and personal sharing from our Mexican students and teachers, ALL our students celebrated the Day of the Dead this school year with their own artwork and special foods and breads. Having this story told in both English and Spanish was truly an added bonus for our English Language Learners to enjoy.



5. This book is a beautiful bilingual book that is ideal for young students. It serves as a nice introduction to Day of The Dead, which is celebrated in Mexico, on November 2. The author fails to mention this in the book but instead makes a note of it in the authors notes. Therefore,for clarity, the adult might want to incorporate this fact into the storyline. Use of another book, like The Day of the Dead / Dia De Los Muertos or Mexican Day of the Dead as a supplement will enrich the students learning about Day of the Dead. The story is rather flat, as noted in one of the editorial reviews here but the salvation of the book are the rich illustrations. The artist when to great lengths to create dimension in the art, resulting in exquisite drawings that will captivate the young audience. The story evolves around young Rosita's loss of her mentor and grandmother to an undisclosed sickness. After she dies Rosita longs for abuelita(grandmother) and her grandfather(abuelito) and family teach Rosita how to honor the dead. They teach her about making abuelita's favorite goodies and making an offering to her spirit at home and at the graveyard. Rosita questions whether she will "encounter" abuelita or not but is eventually touched by her spirit. This is a very cool book that explains how grief for the departed is handled in Mexican culture. As stated the illustrations are magnificent and worth the price of the book alone. Bilingual students , or those learning a language, whose first language is either English or Spanish, will benefit from the text, if read to in both languages. Recommended for community and K-8 school libraries.

5 comments about How to Work Like a Cat: Walking With Confidence Through a Dog-Eat-Dog World.

1. I'm tired of being the over-worked, enthusiastic "dog" of my company while other employees have all the time in world to flit the day away with talking sports, politics, sports, politics, sports, weather, sports...
   
   I've actually tried some of the methods Karen recommended in her new book this past week... and IT REALLY WORKS!
   
   Thanks Karen!



2. Cat lovers will pounce on this insightful tale of feisty felines and crazy canines caught in the crosshairs of Corporate America, so buy Karen Wormald's book, some catnip, and a few treats, and stuff them all into a friend's holiday stocking this year!



3. Up until now, we've only seen cats in business hanging onto a bar waiting for Friday to come. Karen Wormald's book sets the record straight by shining a positive light on feline philosophy. The book is full of wit and truth--the perfect gift for an office co-worker or a cat-loving friend or family member!
   
   When does the calendar come out? It would provide just the right decoration for my cubicle. And my dog of a boss would have to see it every day!



4. How to Work Like a Cat by Karen Wormald is a refreshing and creative look at similarities between cats and coworkers! I bought a dozen and gave them to my feline loving coworkers, neighbors, family, and even my vet!!. It was a great hit. The writing is spectacular and the pictures are worth a thousand more words!
   Cathy (Boston, MA)



5. Humorous look for all humans, owned by cats. However, since cats really don't do any work, they are probably as qualified as anyone else to write on the subject of work.

5 comments about A Pipkin of Pepper.

1. Grandmum gave my daughter the Pumpkin Soup book which was an instant hit; my wife spotted "A Pipkin of pepper" in the local bookstore.
   
   We again meet our three friends Cat, Squirrel and Duck with a brand new HORROR! No Salt! So they must head off to the city to get more. Duck wants to go but cat and squirrel want him to stay since he is too little. Of course an argument happens and they let him go with a promise that if he gets lost he has to stay put.
   
   Of course along the way pepper is discovered and invariable causes the duck to get lost.
   
   The art work is well done on this one. There is much to look at and you even get some "helper" bugs talking about what they see as in will the duck get lost?
   
   It is another hit with my daughter (who is four) and I will have to read this one every night for awhile.



2. We had the privilege of a class field trip to a local bookstore to hear Helen Cooper talk about how she created this book. She fascinated a roomful of elementary school students (including many kindergartners) with her explanation of how she was motivated to write this book (trying to teach her daughter about what to do if she got lost), of her process of creating illustrations (she gets to buy as many paints and brushes and other art supplies as she wants, because it's her job!), and of the quirky elements and details in her pictures that were inspired by real-life images (a funky grinder in a coffee shop led to the pepper mill skyline in the book). Turn the pages of this book over and over to appreciate it all!



3. We had been waiting for the sequel to Pumpkin Soup, as it was very loved in our house. The illustrations in Helen Cooper's books are so beautiful and clever, down to the tiniest details. The story is eloquently told and offers good lessons for young readers, ie. don't wander off and if you get lost, stay where you are, etc. We really look forward to DELICIOUS that comes out this fall. These are great books to buy for a 2-5 year old, though older children can certainly enjoy them too.



4. My daughter loved the 1st one so much we had to get the sequel. We were not disappointed. What a lovely way to approach the subject of getting lost to a small child. Of course the illustrations are outstanding. Helen Coopper gets kids.



5. 3 stars for story, 4.5 stars for illustrations.
   
   Pumpkin soup was a delightful book with narrative that flowed fluidly and enchantingly - it pulled you in and held you. Narrative that a preschooler was quick to memorize - narrative that flowed with the pictures. As such, I was ecstatic to preorder the paperback version of Pipkin of Pepper.
   
   In this sequel to Pumpkin Soup, Cat, Squirrel, and Duck are back and going to the city to buy salt. On the way, Cat and Squirrel cajole Duck that if he is lost he is to stay put! Whereas Pumpkin Soup delivered life lessons in finely crafted prose, Pipkin of Pepper leaves little to interpretation. Well... you guessed it - Duck gets lost and does not stay put! Here's where the story falls apart. Rather than go on a quest to find Duck - in one short paragraph he is plied with pepper and comfort and then Cat and Squirrel just show up. The story is over before it started - no time for suspense, climax, or character building (a major strength of Helen Cooper's previous work). And what is the reward for getting lost - he gets to fly in a helicopter, thus failing to deliver another important life lesson - that consequences for mistakes are not positive. The story line is dull and choppy. I would rate it a very grudging 3 stars if it wasn't for the rich and vibrant illustrations, if not lacking a wee bit of imagination.
   
   I cannot recommend Pumpkin Soup highly enough. However, as for this book I would suggest you peruse it at the bookstore before purchasing. The illustrations alone may be worth purchasing for some children. If it was my own opinion alone that this book was less than stellar, I could forgive it. However, my 4-year old who cares far more about story lines than pictures was very disappointed in this book and said she does not want to read it again - and that speaks volumes.

4 comments about Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats.

1. I didn't find this book so useful. My dogs refuse any otherkind of food except their freshly cooked chicken i prepare for themevery night. Although I tried to follow some advises from this book, I saw that they prefer to starve than eat anything else.I thought they would die since they didn't eat anything for 2-3 days and gave up! The author insists that it's a matter of time that your dog will get used to the new diet, but I see that it is not. I think it has to do with the personality of each and every dog, and that's the reason I will never get a book like this. They don't change their nutricion no matter what I do, so I prefer buying books which deal with their psychological world and ways to communicate with them, instead of books which actually waste my time reading them.



2. I have a copy of this book, and of CJ's Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care. I raise all my dogs (I raise Jack Russells) on an all natural diet. The recipes that I found in these books helped save the lives of a litter of pups that I had who lost thier mother at 3 weeks. At that age, conventional dogfood would not have saved them. And what about the preservatives that are in commercial dog food? I cannot understand how some one can claim to love thier pets, while all the while feeding them food thats full of poison? This book has made me more aware of what the average consumer does not know, and I encourage every one to take the time to do research on BHA and BHT. Those are ingredients that you will find on most of your pet foods as a preservative. Thank You CJ for writing this book, and my pups sure do thank you too. If you start an animal on an all natural diet in the beginning, or a little at a time, it will go more smoothly then trying to change them cold turkey.



3. A 5 star book for sure! CJ Puotinen has provided yet another wonderfully supportive and educational reference book along the same lines as her indispensable "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care". For those of us who want to keep our pets healthy the natural way, this book offers everything from feeding the best diet for our mainly carnivore friends--a raw food diet--to making your own natural flea repellents with oodles of terrific informaiton inbetween. I have saved so much money by making my own tinctures, etc. but more important, have healthier dogs because of what I learned and practiced from these books. That means hardly any visits to a veterinarian! The added bonus is the references in the back of the book. Everything at your fingertips. You can't beat the wealth of information for the price of this book!



4. The vast majority of people today believe that commercial pet food provides a safe and healthy diet for their dogs and cats. Veterinarians, who generally receive minimal instruction in nutrition, also recommend feeding only commercial animal food. CJ Puotinen disputes this advice in her latest book, Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats.
   She's interviewed dozens of holistic pet care experts and studied all the available research on pet care. Time and time again, the evidence points to commercial pet foods as the source of chronic health problems in animals.
   If left to themselves, dogs and cats eat raw prey that they have caught. This gives them a variety of food and nutrients. Even if prepared foods could imitate the variety, which they don't, the processing they undergo destroys the nutrients. Additionally, commercial pet foods contain a host of unhealthy products.
   Puotinen describes the best diets for dogs and cats, and then explains how to achieve that. She even includes some recipes.
   The second section of the book is devoted to natural remedies for ailing animals. She describes the basic nutrients needed by all animals--our pets need vitamins and minerals, just as we do--and how to best include them in a healthy diet. She then explains how various herbs are used in achieving and maintaining pet health. This section also includes recipes, such as one for a natural flea powder.
   Puotinen provides an extensive resource section, including e-mail and web addresses.
   She says her purpose "is to define, explain, and demonstrate herbal and nutritional techniques that many pet owners have used with good results," adding that "an informed owner is a pet's best medical insurance." Readers will find that she has provided all the information and resources they need in Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats to help them help their pets have long and healthy lives.