A Care.com Book Café Recommendation from Zenobia, Care.com Founder & Director of Marketing:

Animal lovers can be a quirky bunch of people–I know, having three spoiled cats–and some of the most enjoyable books I read growing up were by authors who had a deep love for their pets and other animals. I would highly recommend James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small.  It's good reading for 'tweens and pet lovers of all ages.

All Creatures Great and Small is a series of short stories based on the author’s experience as a vet in Yorkshire, England before and during World War II. The stories revolve around the life of a country vet and feature a cast of farmers, village residents, and of course animals–both house pets and farm animals. James Herriot has the gift of describing each animal’s characteristics in a humorous and entertaining way, giving his subjects distinct personalities. He brings the same warmth, humor, and depth when describing the animals’ owners and the relationships between pets and owners. Each story can stand alone, but as a whole the collections is an amusing, heartwarming, occasionally sad, and always insightful look at people, animals, and the love they can feel for one another.

Other collections of stores by James Herriot include: All Things Bright and Beautiful, All things Wise and Wonderful, and more.