Socks by Beverly Cleary, 156 pages

Socks by Beverly Cleary

The chronicle of the white-pawed Socks the cat begins humbly inside a cardboard box outside a grocery store. He's lucky enough to find the Brickers, a newlywed couple with a home full of love to share. Socks is the king of his castle until his life is turned upside down by the birth of the Bricker's first child.  From a severe lap shortage, to enemies and unexpected friends, Socks has to find his place in the new order, eventually coming to a mischievous accord with the tiny interloper.

My sister bought this book for me at a rummage sale, and it was a quarter well-spent! The entire book is written from Sock's POV and the language is comical and frisky, much like I imagine a kitten's inner monologue might be. The chapter with the babysitter warmed my cockles, as my grandmother used to say. 

For whom it may concern: the book was published in the '70s, and has more diet culture in it than is necessary for a kid's book, so tread lightly if reading to actual children. 

A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron

 

A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron-327 pages

Others have already reviewed this since it was our Book to Movie club.  It's a very sweet story as told from the dogs perspective.  After reading this I actually looked at my own dog differently!  They are the most loving, loyal creatures on the planet.  I enjoyed the book very much..though at times it seemed far fetched!

Other People's Pets by R.L. Maizes

 

Other People’s Pets by R.L. Maizes

304 pages

★★★

La La is an animal empath, so she can feel what any animal around her feels and uses that to become a veterinarian. Her mother abandoned them when she was young and her father is a thief disguised as a locksmith, so she has never had the most stable life. When her father gets arrested during one of his “jobs,” La La has to follow in her father’s footsteps in order to pay for his lawyer and other bills, but she uses her empathic abilities to justify breaking into houses by helping the animals in pain.

This was an interesting read but I felt too separate and didn’t explain the magical realism enough. La La hid her empathic abilities but the book also treated it like something normal at the same time. It was also unnecessarily sad throughout the whole book, putting misfortune on top of misfortune onto La La who did nothing to deserve it. I just wanted one good thing to happen for her the entire time and it never did.

Capybara is Friends with Everyone by Maddie Frost

Capybara is Friends with Everyone by Maddie Frost 32 pages Learn what lengths you do and DON'T need to go to in order to be a good friend! This hilarious picture book from Maddie Frost is perfect for social emotional learning! Hi, hello. My name is Capybara and I think it's important to be a great friend. Take it from me, I have 4,382 friends! Capybara will do anything for his friends. But it's exhausting-and when Capybara meets a potential new friend who doesn't seem to be responding to his advances, Capybara learns a valuable lesson. His friends like him just for who he is!From the creator of Smug Seagull and Just be Jelly and illustrator of Shine Like a Unicorn comes a funny, heartwarming story about friendship. This book is an excellent teaching tool for lessons on friendship and creating boundaries within those relationships. It is a funny story for families to share, and a great read-aloud at home or in the classroom! Capybara learns you don't have to do things for people (animals) to be your friend, they just want to hang out with you.

Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight? by Jerry Pallotta

 

Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight? by Jerry Pallotta - 32 Pages

Santa is looking for a team to guide his sleigh. He tries a number of different animals, that each have their own problems. 

Dewey's Christmas at the Library by Vicki Myron

 Dewey's Christmas at the Library by Vicki Myron - 40 Pages

Another adventure with Dewey as he  celebrates his very first Christmas!

The holiday season is in full swing in Spencer -- the lights are twinkling, the wreaths are hung, and Christmas bells are ringing. Inside the library, Dewey longs to be part of the holiday fun and after a series of silly misadventures, Dewey finds a way to add his own special touch to his beloved Christmas tree -- and the results are Dew-rific!

A wonderful way to celebrate the season with everyone's favorite library cat.

So Light, So Heavy by Susanne Strasser

So Light, So Heavy - Susanne Strasser - 22 Pages

Toddlers will be drawn in by repetition, opposites, humor, and an unexpected twist in this board book story about Elephant's quest to get the seesaw to teeter. A cast of friendly animals--who are all so light--try to help move the seesaw, but Elephant's side won't budge. He's so heavy. Then what happens when a child swoops in with other plans? Short, simple, and memorable, this board book offers a satisfying story arc.

Oink by David Elliot

Oink by David Elliot, 30 pages

When Piggy decides to take a bath, all the other animals decide to join him.  Other animals and their noises, make for quite a noisy bath time!

Best Bear Ever!: A Little Year of Liz Climo

Best Bear Ever!: A Little Year of Liz Climo - 111 Pages

"Come spend some time in Liz Climo's world! The artist and popular blogger returns with another collection of her comics--this time following the seasons with her most beloved characters.

Fans love Liz Climo's charmingly funny animal kingdom, which was first featured in The Little World of Liz Climo and Lobster is the Best Medicine.

Best Bear Ever! follows Bear and Rabbit, along with their other friends (including Otter, Sloth, Skunk, and Turtle), to commemorate special days throughout the year, while also embarking on fun adventures to celebrate the seasons. When you have good pals like these, any time of year can be the BEST EVER." 

Lobster is the Best Medicine: A Collection of Comics About Friendship by Liz Climo

Lobster is the Best Medicine: A Collection of Comics About Friendship by Liz Climo - 111 Pages

"Fans have fallen in love with Liz Climo's charmingly quirky animal kingdom, which was first featured in The Little World of Liz Climo-a place where porcupines, anteaters, and grizzly bears all grapple with everyday life with wit and humor.

Friends: They are there when we just want to hang out, or need someone to listen. They make us laugh, and lend a shoulder to cry on. Comic artist Liz Climo captures the true spirit of friendship with this quirkily charming collection. Her animal kingdom is a place where sharks, otters, porcupines, and even crustaceans come together to show the best of what friends have to offer.

This little book will remind you to appreciate your own friendships...and inspire you to share with a special pal."

The Little World of Liz Climo by Liz Climo

The Little World of Liz Climo by Liz Climo - 158 Pages

"Artist Liz Climo has charmed her fans with her comic world of whimsical animal characters, where everyone from grizzly bears, dinosaurs, rabbits, and anteaters grapple with everyday life with wit and humor.

Through her comics, we discover that an armadillo can dress for Halloween, a dinosaur can be a loving parent ... and a rhino can squeeze orange juice! This collection features more than 100 comics, starring her beloved characters in all kinds of funny situations, from celebrating holidays to helping friends."

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm by George Orwell, 139 pages

I have wanted to read this book or 1984 by George Orwell for the longest time.  Mr. Jones owns Manor Farm.  But, soon the animals take over the farm.  Napolean and the pigs soon become the animals in charge.  They build a windmill and make the farm more productive.  I really enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would!

The Story of Peppa Pig by Scholastic

The Story of Peppa Pig by Scholastic - 32 pages

This was an interesting easy book.  Peppa loved jumping in mud puddles.  Well, the parents kept putting her off.  I was afraid she would be bacon before getting the muddy puddle.....but eventually the whole family jumped at the grandparents house..  Whew!

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick-224 pages

As you may know, this novel is/was the inspiration for the films Bladerunner and Bladerunner 2049. The characters' names are the same in the movies as in the book, but that is the only thing exactly the same. In the novel, keeping animals (such as electric sheep, but there are real animals, too) is seen as a status symbol. In the movie, animals are not part of the story. Anyway, the novel is thought-provoking and a good read. The biggest difference between a human and an android is empathic capacity. However, androids are treated as worse than animals because of this difference. Many humans are not very empathetic in real life and it makes one think about empathy and about the dangers and challenges of technology. Also, it causes one to think about what the future might be like, especially if androids really do come to fruition (of which I am not a fan). Overall, this was a good, interesting read.

If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff

If You Give a Moose a Muffin
by Laura Numeroff
32 pages









If a big hungry moose comes to visit, you might give him a muffin to make him feel at home. If you give him a muffin, he'll want some jam to go with it. When he's eaten all your muffins, he'll want to go to the store to get some more muffin mix.....

There's a Giraffe In My Soup by Ross Burach

There's a Giraffe in my Soup
by Ross Burach
32 pages









This is a funny book that engages readers from the very first page, when the young diner arrives at the restaurant on his Big Wheel and leaves it with the valet. The waiter does not initially believe the boy at first but realizes that the child is right and quickly brings him a fresh bowl. Each new serving brings a bigger and more difficult dilemma. The animals prove to be more of a problem for the waiter than the boy. He ends up with bandages, cuts, and a broken leg. Children will be eager to see what comes next. They will also enjoy watching the waiter become more frightened and exhausted with each trip to and from the kitchen. When it is suggested the young boy have a free dessert...things become even worse!

Frog on a Log? by Kes Gray & Jim Field

Frog on a Log?
by  Kes Gray & Jim Field
28 pages









Sometimes learning the concept of rhyme is difficult for young children, but this book has few words and large clear pictures, so the children get the idea of rhyme quickly. They also enjoy the humor shown in the pictures and the language.

Baboons by Alexis Roumanis

Baboons by Alexis Roumanis - 24 pages

I had a friend from South Africa who had an encounter with Baboons.  I'll never forget the story.

A juvenile book.  This had some wonderful facts that I never knew before.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame-181 pages

This is the story of the adventures of Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad and their friends. Toad goes from a frivolous, conceited being to being a humble, changed Toad, which, along with friendship and loyalty is the moral of the story. I enjoyed reading this, even though the target audience is children. It's cool that the author, Kenneth Grahame, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, since I have been there and it an interesting, historic city. I thought I had read this as a kid, but reading it now I don't remember. I wanted to read this for animals month, but didn't get it finished in time. However, I decided to finish it anyway.

Rocky Road To Romance by Janet Evanovich

Rocky Road To Romance by Janet Evanovich, 249 pages

Back Before Turbo Twenty Three, Janet Evanovich wrote twelve short romance novels.  I have read about half of these and found most of them very, very light reading that were feel good funny.  Rocky Road to Romance is about a radio station owner named Steve who finds himself falling for Daisy, the dog loving traffic reporter and a dog named Bob (Janet Evanovich's first novel in which Bob appears as the name of a dog). Will two dog lovers find happiness together?