Right now, the room behind me is full of the sounds of chirping. There are the chicks, the little ones whom we’ve been incubating for three weeks. Over the last couple of days they have been hatching, and it’s been wonderful.
My daughter loves to take care of animals, although I do need to manage the overall care of all of our pets. We also enjoy books about kids who love animals. If your child also wants to be a vet or a wildlife rescue person, here are a few books that you might like to read.
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
In The Salamander Room, a little boy named Brian finds a salamander in the forest and takes it home. His mother asks him how he will take care of it, and slowly Brian turns his bedroom into a forest to make a home for the salamander. This book shows the importance of keeping animals in their original habitats, and it has wonderful, soothing pictures. It’s a great bed time story.
Mary of Mile 18 by Ann Blades
This is a longer book, best for children who can sit and listen for longer than 15 minutes. It tells the story of a family long ago on a farm in northern Canada, where the winters are hard and long. The family lives a simple life. One day, the little girl Mary finds a wolf-dog outside in the snow, but her father won’t let her keep it. When the pup saves the henhouse from a coyote, it becomes part of the family.
A Salmon for Simon by Betty Waterton and Ann Blades
Simon wants to catch a salmon. But when a salmon gets stuck in a hole made for clam digging, he realizes that it needs to swim free in the ocean.
The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico
In this classic story, a little boy helps a snow goose that has a damaged wing. He loves the goose, but when the fall comes he realizes that it needs to fly south with its own family. He is sad when the goose leaves, but in the spring it comes to visit him once again.
What are your favorite animal books for children?
Image courtesy of mojatabat at Stock Exchange.