James Herriot's Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small [Hardcover]

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

James Herriot's Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small [Hardcover]

Product Details

Reading level: Ages 4 and up
Hardcover: 260 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (September 1, 1992)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312085125
ISBN-13: 978-0312085124
Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

By : James Herriot
List Price : ~~$19.95~~
Price : $12.16
You Save : $7.79 (39%)

Customer Reviews

Over the years, I have thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Herriot's wonderful stories. When I found this book for my 7 year old daughter, I wasn't sure if she'd be able to follow along. What makes this book stand out is the fabulous drawings--they are full paged drawings, with not too much writing on each page. Each drawing is very detailed, perfectly matched to the accompanying text. I can't get over the talented illustrators (this book has two different ones, although the drawings are similar in appearance). I've loved re-reading these familiar stories and sharing them. This is one of the best books we've read this year, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it for a permanent library collection.

Born an animal lover, I read James Herriot's first four books in the 70's from middle through high school in Taiwan. Yes, Those books were translated into Chinese and James Herriot was quite popular among book lovers there. I came to the United States in 1987 and since then, I bought and re-read all his books in English. I discovered so many aspects of his writing could not be precisely translated into another language, nevertheless his love and affection for all living thing are universal. Later, I watched and collected some of the BBC adaptation and had to admit that even though they were fine production, they left you with little imagination. I still prefer the books and the audio CD's narrated by Christopher Timothy. Christopher Timothy's interpretation was very good on film, but even better on CD's.
When the book "James Herriot's Treasury for children" came out, I could not think of a better way to introduce my nieces and my daughter to James Herriot's writing and the animals around him. The children love the stories and illustrations. But no matter how hard I tried, I could never be good at imitating the Yorkshire farmer's accent.
When I found that an audio version of this book was available through Amazon, I was very excited the thought this would complete my James Herriot collection. However, I was puzzled that Christopher Timothy did not narrate this book. Not knowing Jim Dale's previous work, I was skeptical about the quality of his narration. Now I am glad that I was wrong.
Christopher Timothy has been wonderful with all his work, but I think Jim Dale is more suitable for this book whose target audience are mostly children. There is so much feeling and emotion in his voice that makes the stories even more captivating than they already were. While listening to "The Christmas Day Kitten", I found myself sobbing at the end of story as if I had lost my own pet.
James Herriot's books combine good story-telling, passion and kindness to every living thing. This book will do just that for your children. The audio CD will simply add more magic to his stories.