Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Cheryl Aguiar loves animals of all kinds, domestic and wild. As a child, she marvelled at the wildlife around her and did all she could to rescue orphaned and injured creatures. She even saved a tree frog when the lawnmower accidentally ran it over, severing two of its legs, half its upper lip and injuring one eye. The tree frog recovered and lived with Cheryl for four years. During the winter of 2016, a Great Horned Owl family built their nest in the woods just outside Cheryl’s home. Fascinated, she watched as Mama Owl kept the eggs warm, then tended the newly hatched owlets. After a severe windstorm, Cheryl came home to discover the owl’s nest destroyed and the tiny owlets huddling on the ground. She knew that it wasn’t safe for them. With the help of family and neighbors, and some advice from a local owl rescue organization, she and her husband built a wicker basket nest, secured it to the same tree where the original nest had been, and carefully helped the family re-establish their little home in the new nest.

Cheryl’s story and photos follow the maturing of these two owlets, whom she called Wisdom and Willow. Through their story, Cheryl and her readers learn a lot about the Great Horned Owl: how they mate, build nests (not very well, it appears), care for and train their young, and hunt. Cheryl, her family and friends were able to trace the owlets’ lives until they became adults and returned to the home that Cheryl had helped them preserve. The owlets, now fully grown owls, felt safe in Cheryl’s woods. It’s where she rescued them from certain death. Cheryl shares her story and her photos in her recent book, Great Horned Owlets Rescue. It’s a story told with tender compassion and a sense of awe. The author’s passion for her rescued owlets, and for all of the animal kingdom, is apparent through the story. A wonderful story.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

If you decide to read The Hammer: Why Dogs Attack Us and How to Prevent It by Bryan Bailey, here’s some advice:

1) Keep a pen and paper beside you at all times to make notes.
2) Suspend all your warm, fuzzy feelings for dogs in general, and especially about that four-legged buddy of yours who devotedly follows you everywhere, curls up in bed beside you every night, or cutely begs to be picked up the minute you sit down.

Bryan Bailey is about to turn your beliefs that the handsome German Shepherd you trust will protect you, or that your sweet little Yorkie you love to cuddle would never bite you, let alone kill you. And he chooses to do that by shocking you with several heartbreaking stories about folks whose lives were ended or shattered by The Hammer…an aptly chosen word to describe the swiftness of a deadly dog attack. These moving stories, including a very frightening one of Bailey’s own which prompted the writing of this book, are shared before the author expounds on and explains what and why the attacks happened. These stories, and Bailey’s explanations, are the author’s plea to dog lovers to wake up: man’s best friend can very suddenly become his worst enemy.

At the beginning of The Hammer: Why Dogs Attack Us and How to Prevent It, the author lists many pages of names and dates for victims of a fatal dog attack. As he tells us, “Since 2005, over 400 Americans have been killed by dogs, and each year, nearly 4.5 million suffer from bites that require emergency room visits.” He cites many other statistics and when you read the stories and his explanations, the staggering numbers make sense, but are far from comforting. But Bailey’s purpose isn’t just to frighten readers into awareness that beloved Fido’s aggressive tendencies are generic, dating back to his ancestors, wolves. He tried to do that in his previous excellent book, Embracing the Wild in Your Dog. If you read that, as I did, and didn’t come away more convinced you could be attacked by your pet, perhaps The Hammer will hit you over the head with its horrible realities. But, more importantly, what you will take away from this book is enlightenment, knowledge pet owners need to protect themselves, their children and anyone else who might suddenly find themselves faced with your pet’s sudden aggression:

Step 1: NEVER assume a dog will allow you to take anything from it without a fight.

Step 2: ALWAYS walk away from the fight.

Step 3: NEVER assume that you will win the fight.

Sage advice. Following the devastating story of a little girl killed by her grandma’s dog when she fell off her grannie’s lap to retrieve a bit of cheese, an attack which the grandmother herself survived but might not have as she desperately tried to save the child, Bailey states: “Dogs are clueless of our good intentions whenever we try to take something harmful away from them that they wish to eat.

Bailey will remind you of the folly of thinking that only big dogs can kill you: “Of the 74 dog bite fatalities that occurred in the U.S. between 1966-1980, two of the dogs involved were a Dachshund and a Yorkshire terrier.” Surprised? You will be surprised, shocked, disturbed by everything Bailey shares in this very important book. But if you keep your mind open and make notes on The Hammer as you read, you are more likely to remember his advice the next time your pet growls or turns lifeless, staring eyes on you, or your grandchild, or a friend: a hammer-like attack from that pet might be imminent. The life you save by reading this book could be your own, or that of someone you love dearly.

Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

Hogan’s Hope: A Deaf Hero’s Inspirational Quest for Love and Acceptance is the true story of a dog rescued from abuse, written by Connie Bombaci. Born the runt of the litter in a puppy mill and christened Number 10, the tiny Dalmatian pup hardly stood a chance at a normal life. Not only was he born deaf, but he was also quite small. Not permitted indoors, he suffered horrific beatings whilst being caged outdoors with no shelter or warmth. After being rescued and rehomed, Number 10 was renamed after being adopted by a kind and loving family. Now known as Hogan, his life was about to change tenfold because his new family acknowledged his deafness and helped him work through his residual fears, as they learned and taught basic commands in American Sign Language, and turned this scrawny, bruised and beaten canine victim into a happy, healthy survivor.

The moment I saw the premise of Hogan’s story, I had never wanted to read any book so badly before in my life. Connie Bombaci’s story of Hogan – a Dalmatian pup which had withstood all the odds and became a beacon of hope for so many – moved me to tears. Seeing how horrifically an animal could be treated gave me chills, whilst clenching my fists at the same time. I saw Hogan’s rescue from such a horrific place to be a true blessing. Being Deaf, I know the challenges and prejudices that stem from audism and surdophobia, and could not help but rejoice as I experienced Hogan’s transformation from scared victim in a world devoid of trust, to a confident, devoted and loving pet which lived and gave his all for his human and animal friends and family. One of the most emotionally satisfying and enriching books I have ever read, Hogan’s Hope: A Deaf Hero’s Inspirational Quest for Love and Acceptance is a tale which I not only enjoyed, but also recommend to readers aged over 15 years, so that they can see that deafness does not create boundaries in any species – it is how you interact and embrace those who are deaf which makes all the difference in their silent world.

Reviewed by Tracy Slowiak for Readers' Favorite

What a story I just read! A Walk in Connection by author Tracy Ane Brooks is an absolute revelation. Recounting the real life experiences of the author, an impressive person who served as the director and co-founder of Mission: Wolf, a wolf sanctuary in the state of Colorado, the book includes her amazing experiences with many animals, but with two special ones in particular. Shaman, a British Columbia gray wolf, and Ikus, a strong and independent horse. It is through her relationships with both of these animals, and her ability to allow the animals to serve as her teachers, that Tracy develops her profound ideas on the reality of the human and animal bond and connection.

I found A Walk in Connection to be a simply amazing read, and one that I know I will find myself coming back to again and again over the years. Tracy's experiences and her ability to share them with her readers are simply amazing and thought provoking. For a person who loves animals anyway, this book definitely spurred my interest from the time I read the premise, but any reader would find a great deal to love about it. A Walk in Connection gets my very highest recommendation, and I would love to tell author Tracy Ane Brooks that she should continue writing about her experiences. A follow up book to this great offering is definitely in order, and I certainly hope to see one in the very near future!

Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite

I absolutely loved reading The Reluctant Farmer of Whimsey Hill. I wanted to move to Virginia immediately and buy a farm. The Smith family had horses, dogs, cats and an Angus steer named Pork Chop that the family calls Daddy’s cow. Brad meets Nancy at a dance and soon the fun begins. They marry, have two daughters, and move to the country. Life on the farm is anything but dull with Junior and Figgy, two horses that enjoy doing unusual things to Brad every chance they get. They like pushing Brad into puddles and locking him in a stall, and his “cow” manages to run away and get into difficult situations that just add to the fun and confusion. Gardening turns out to be harder than expected and soon more weeds appear than veggies. A local hurricane makes for a scary night and harvesting hay turns into a trip to the hospital. Brad tells about all of these events in great detail and usually with some "how did I get myself into this?" thinking.

The Reluctant Farmer of Whimsey Hill is an animal lover's delight, but there is so much more; love, family, friendship, humor, sadness and just good reading. Bradford M. Smith, Lynn Raven and Nancy Raven Smith have joined forces and written a perfectly delightful book that was impossible to put down. I cannot say enough good things about The Reluctant Farmer of Whimsey Hill. I highly recommend it to everyone young and old; male and female; you will not be disappointed.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Cheryl Aguiar loves animals of all kinds, domestic and wild. As a child, she marvelled at the wildlife around her and did all she could to rescue orphaned and injured creatures. She even saved a tree frog when the lawnmower accidentally ran it over, severing two of its legs, half its upper lip and injuring one eye. The tree frog recovered and lived with Cheryl for four years. During the winter of 2016, a Great Horned Owl family built their nest in the woods just outside Cheryl’s home. Fascinated, she watched as Mama Owl kept the eggs warm, then tended the newly hatched owlets. After a severe windstorm, Cheryl came home to discover the owl’s nest destroyed and the tiny owlets huddling on the ground. She knew that it wasn’t safe for them. With the help of family and neighbors, and some advice from a local owl rescue organization, she and her husband built a wicker basket nest, secured it to the same tree where the original nest had been, and carefully helped the family re-establish their little home in the new nest.

Cheryl’s story and photos follow the maturing of these two owlets, whom she called Wisdom and Willow. Through their story, Cheryl and her readers learn a lot about the Great Horned Owl: how they mate, build nests (not very well, it appears), care for and train their young, and hunt. Cheryl, her family and friends were able to trace the owlets’ lives until they became adults and returned to the home that Cheryl had helped them preserve. The owlets, now fully grown owls, felt safe in Cheryl’s woods. It’s where she rescued them from certain death. Cheryl shares her story and her photos in her recent book, Great Horned Owlets Rescue. It’s a story told with tender compassion and a sense of awe. The author’s passion for her rescued owlets, and for all of the animal kingdom, is apparent through the story. A wonderful story.

Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

When a cat decided that he wanted a new home, The Kitty: Who Rescued Me After I Rescued Him by Shawn P. Flynn begins. The male cat turned up when Shawn moved into a new house. Soon it was clear that the cat had decided that Shawn should be his new owner, and the human's life soon revolves around the needs of the cat. Which cat food does the cat like? Is the house cat-friendly enough? Unfortunately, Shawn's private life takes a downward spiral just a while after the cat turned up. Fortunately, however, the cat named Kitty helps Shawn to get through the problems and find joy in life again. It proves that cats are the better people (sometimes)!

I am currently volunteering for and living in an animal sanctuary - where we also have cats - so books like The Kitty by Shawn P. Flynn catch my attention. I love animals and love reading stories about them, too. The story of Kitty and Shawn was very moving, especially towards the end. It was also very surprising to me, and an eye-opener because I never expected such a heart-warming story to come from a man. The words and photos contained in this book definitely give me some hope for mankind - there seem to be some true male animal lovers out there. I would recommend this book to all animal lovers, not just cat lovers - but beware, the end will very likely have you in tears. I read the book in one go!

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

All who have ever loved a dog and lost him/her, whether through death or otherwise, will find A Dog Called Hope, by Jason Morgan and Damien Lewis, bringing them to tears. This is a true story, in as far as Jason Morgan is able to remember the exact details of how he, a US special forces warrior, ended up a paraplegic after a secret mission in Ecuador. What happens after his near death, and with the help of family, friends and one very special CCI trained Labrador, Napal, will mesmerize and warm the hearts of all who read A Dog Called Hope.

As only well-written memoirs can do, A Dog Called Hope takes readers into the hearts and souls of the characters, making us feel what they feel and helping us see through their eyes the trauma and joy they have experienced. In Jason Morgan’s case, the reality of becoming a paraplegic, of losing his wife during the difficult years of surgeries, and the constantly thwarted determination to walk again are enough to break the strongest person. A Dog Called Hope gives us a very intimate look into that reality. But through Napal, Jason discovers a life beyond his crippling disability, a life which he would never have dreamed possible. Through Napal’s tireless devotion and love for his master and friend, Jason eventually becomes a medal-winning paralympic swimmer, a motivational speaker for CCI, (Canine Companions Independence), and even once again, someone who can ride a horse and jump out of planes! How is this possible? With the help of his co-author, Damien Lewis, Jason Morgan fills readers in and moves them through super highs and tear-jerking lows.

But A Dog Called Hope isn’t just about Jason Morgan. It’s also about Jim Siegfried, another paraplegic who trained Napal to be such an outstanding companion to Jason. These two men don’t meet until the day Napal officially becomes Jason’s companion. Imagine Jason’s shock when he saw Jim and vice versa. The CCI couldn’t have better matched Jason and Napal. Through both Jim and Jason, readers experience the incredible bond that exists between dogs and their owners, along with the emotional and mental heartbreak that accompanies the loss of a beloved pet. If you have ever loved and lost a dog, prepare to weep more than once when you read A Dog Called Hope. The book also provides tremendous insight into what goes into training such special companion dogs like Napal. It can take up to two years of training before a dog is ready to take on the huge responsibility of chief caregiver for a disabled adult or child. And not all dogs “graduate”. They really have to emerge top of the class. It’s even fascinating to read what they can and cannot eat and what character traits they need to have e.g. they can’t be easily distracted. These are, indeed, very special dogs.

If there is anything that could have made this book better, it would be the inclusion of some photos. Readers will be so curious by the book’s end to see pictures of Napal and Jason. But, such photos and even videos are available on the net. Jason Morgan has a wonderful website at ssgtjasonmorgan.com and you can also find him, Napal and his current dog, Rue, on Facebook. And do check out YouTube by searching “Jason Morgan, Napal”. You can do that before or after you read A Dog Called Napal, but only by reading the book itself will you get the full story told the way it should be: by the author himself and, to a certain degree, by Napal. Read the book to understand why I say, “by Napal”. This is a dog lover’s book and so very much more!

Reviewed by Tracy Slowiak for Readers' Favorite

What a story I just read! A Walk in Connection by author Tracy Ane Brooks is an absolute revelation. Recounting the real life experiences of the author, an impressive person who served as the director and co-founder of Mission: Wolf, a wolf sanctuary in the state of Colorado, the book includes her amazing experiences with many animals, but with two special ones in particular. Shaman, a British Columbia gray wolf, and Ikus, a strong and independent horse. It is through her relationships with both of these animals, and her ability to allow the animals to serve as her teachers, that Tracy develops her profound ideas on the reality of the human and animal bond and connection.

I found A Walk in Connection to be a simply amazing read, and one that I know I will find myself coming back to again and again over the years. Tracy's experiences and her ability to share them with her readers are simply amazing and thought provoking. For a person who loves animals anyway, this book definitely spurred my interest from the time I read the premise, but any reader would find a great deal to love about it. A Walk in Connection gets my very highest recommendation, and I would love to tell author Tracy Ane Brooks that she should continue writing about her experiences. A follow up book to this great offering is definitely in order, and I certainly hope to see one in the very near future!

Reviewed by Patricia Reding for Readers' Favorite

Rarely does a book come along that so positively mesmerizes me that I read it from start to finish in a single sitting. Yet that is exactly what I did with Embracing the Wild in Your Dog by Bryan Bailey. Bailey opens the story with a reminder that with man’s domestication of the wolf to today’s “dog,” he changed the environment of the creature. Even so, dogs have retained the same base instincts that nature originally provided the wolf. Buttressing his approach to his theory of dog owning and training, Bailey tells of his childhood mentor, a U.S. Army Green Beret. A tough man, he was challenged by his mentor to solve problems on his own, to rise to overcome the stresses that life was sure to put in his path, and to learn from the nature that surrounded him. With heartfelt stories of his mentor woven throughout, Bailey instills upon his readers the same life lessons if they will but hear.

With a daughter involved in the dog training world, I’ve been introduced to a wide variety of training theories, concepts, tools, and approaches. But Bailey reassured me that some of my deepest instincts about our own family pet are completely valid and that I ought to pay careful attention to them. In this way, Embracing the Wild in Your Dog provides pertinent information to all dog owners. In telling his story, it is almost as though Bailey inhabits the body of the creature he teaches us about. He guides readers to an understanding of a dog’s most basic needs, and he explains how our domesticated “wolves” behave in a manner intended to meet those needs.

Bailey used what I would call a “creative non-fiction” approach to the work. That is to say, although his main intent is to provide information, he does it in a way that paints a picture of the world he wants his readers to see. That picture becomes a living, breathing canvas of color, sound, and even feelings. Bailey’s work is truly worthy of the attention of others and, in my estimation, of an award or two! If you are a dog owner, this one is definitely worth your while, so wait no longer to get your copy!