"Please always remember to neuter and spay. This will help keep pets from going to the pound every day!"
 |
Too Many Pets, and Not Enough Homes! by Jennifer Fine, DVM Trafford Publishing
book review by Lori Lucero
This delightful children's picture book was written by a veterinarian, who aims to deliver an important message about pet overpopulation. She hopes to educate the next generation of animal lovers, so they will understand why it is important to get their pets neutered or spayed. She tells the story of two boys who find a mother cat and a litter of kittens when they are outside playing. They bring them home, to the dismay of their parents, who say they cannot keep so many cats. The boys and their parents bring the cats to the pound, but it is full and they are turned away. In the end, the family gives away the kittens and keeps the mother cat. The book then explains that the mother cat needs a surgery called a spay, so that she can't have any more kittens. The boys and their parents learn that many cats and dogs are homeless, and neutering or spaying can help keep the pet population down.
Children will love the bright, whimsical illustrations, rendered by the author in colored pencil. The book is written in verse and has an engaging rhythm. The message is important, but delivered simply, without preaching, in a way that children will enjoy and understand, and adult animal lovers will appreciate. The book may serve to educate the parents as well, and encourage them to get their own pets neutered or spayed. It's perfect for beginning readers, and also a great book for parents to read and discuss with their children.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review