It Can't Be True! Animals! - DK Canada

When my kids were younger, they adored the annuals that gave you lists of the biggest, the most and so on. DK Canada has a series called It Can't Be True! And the one that caught Little Guy and Gramma's attention was It Can't Be True! Animals! Unbelievable Facts About Amazing Animals.

Little Guy always has to peruse the cover before opening a book. And he was hooked by this one. Was that dog real and almost as small as a tennis ball!?

It Can't Be True Animals has divided the entries up into five categories: Skills and Senses, Unbelievable Bodies, Strength and Speed, Homes and Hideaway and lastly Growing and Breeding. The question and it's page number are listed under the headings. And guess what - yes, we had to find the smallest dog entry first. The listings made it easy to find. What we found was a color, enlarged picture of Milly the wee dog compared to the feet and forelegs of the tallest dog. A fast facts sidebar box gives more smallest and largest comparisons - cat and horse. The layout is attractive, not too busy but with lots to look at and talk about. The font size is varied with bold and colored text giving emphasis to the facts being presented.

Well, from that one entry, Little Guy really had the idea of the book and just started flipping through pages and stopping when a photo caught his eye. The photos were more attractive than the drawings for him - "it's real".

There's much to talk about as we stopped and looked at the ones that caught his eye. Take those comparisons and make a conversation out of the information given. I learned many things along the way as well. Little Guy loves to share snippets of information and this gave him a wealth of "Did you know..." pieces. What is the loudest animal? (A sperm whale) Many of the entries are more in depth than I would have supposed from the cover shot.

The books is printed on good quality paper, the photos are sharp and clear, the layout is attractive and engaging and the information is interesting and well presented. The format allows the reader to pick a page at whim and learn something new each time.

Gramm and Little Guy both both enjoyed It Can't Be True! Animals! (As did many of the adults who picked it up off the coffee table to have a 'quick look'.) Check out the page below for a closer look.

Love Unleashed - Rebecca Ascher- Walsh

I read Love Unleashed by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh in one sitting. And right beside me was my fifteen year old dog. She's deaf, terribly arthritic and sleeps most of the day away now. But she still gets up to greet anyone coming in, wags her tail and shares her love every day.

The subtitle of  Love Unleashed is: Tales of Inspiration and the Life-Changing Power of Dogs. And these tales truly are inspiring.

Ascher-Walsh profiles thirty-five remarkable rescue dogs. Dogs who have been given a second chance and a new life. Dogs who have changed the lives of not just their owners, but many, many others. And in a myriad of ways. A nursery companion dog - in a zoo. A dog who doles out hugs to anyone who needs one in NYC. Police dogs, therapy dogs. Even a courthouse dog who helps children during testimony. A retired bomb sniffing dog who now sniffs out the deadly C-difficile bacteria in hospitals. Dogs who raise money for shelters through their on line presence. Storm chasers and so many more. Every profile is accompanied by a colour photo and full write-up.

Each dog has a unique story. And every one of them was a rescue. Yes, the dogs are amazing, but so are the people who work with the dogs, own the dogs and champion rescue dogs. They too are inspiring.

My old girl is a rescue. Full of fleas, ticks, mange, worms, she had been abused. She was also a black dog, who get passed over in many adoptive situations. We met her just as her quarantine ended and took her home that day. She has given us nothing but love and devotion each and every day. I know her time with us is coming to an end, but the time with us and the love she has given will never be forgotten.  I encourage anyone contemplating having a dog in their lives to check out their local shelter.

Love Unleashed was such a wonderful little read. Absolutely recommended. Peek inside Love Unleashed.

Credit: Mark Mann

"Rebecca Ascher-Walsh is a writer who specializes in celebrity and lifestyle coverage, but who also loves dogs and telling stories about amazing animals. She contributes to many newspapers and national magazines including Entertainment Weekly, Adweek, and the Los Angeles Times. She is a volunteer at a high-kill shelter in Manhattan and a founding director of the Deja Foundation, devoted to funding the medical care and training costs of dogs rescued from high-kill shelters." See what others on the TLC book tour thought - full schedule can be found here.

Esther The Wonder Pig - Review AND Giveaway

Okay, the title caught your eye didn't it? Esther the Wonder Pig: Changing the World One Heart at a Time. And how about that cute little piggy face?

Well, inside the pages of Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter's new book, written with Caprice Crane, you'll find the story of Esther, the mini pig that was, well, a big pig.

Steve and his partner Derek are animal lovers. They were living with a pair of dogs and cats in their home in a large urban area in Ontario when an old high school friend of Steve's contacted him. (After 15 years of no contact...)

" Hey Steve. I know you've always been a huge animal lover. I have a mini pig that is not getting along with my dogs. I've just had a baby and I can't keep the pig."

Uh huh. So combined with that 15 years and the words 'mini pig', alarms should be going off right? Nope - Steve ends up meeting the woman and bringing home the cute little animal. It's the word 'huge' in that email that is quite prophetic. 'Esther' isn't a mini (surprise!) - instead, she ends up being a full blown commercial size pig. Yes, a 650 pound pig in a 1000 sq.ft. home!

I really enjoyed Steve's voice - I suspect he would be a hoot to meet in person. He's passionate, impetuous and downright funny. I found myself laughing out loud many times. Derek seems to be a bit calmer and more practical. But their love for Esther is the same.

Loving a full sized pig does bring some inevitable changes - physically, mentally and lifestyle. How those changes occurred and how they literally affected and inspired hundreds of thousands of people is a wonderful, heartwarming tale. Esther's story will bring a smile to your day, have you taking a second look at where your food comes from, perhaps inspire you to investigate a vegan lifestyle, support rescue operations and more.

Oh, and my book has a nice little blurb from Ricky Gervais: "Funny, moving, and heartwarming. The greatest love story ever told between two men and their pig." Yup, that about sums it up. A fun read that will leave you smiling. Read an excerpt of Esther the Wonder Pig. My only negative is the celebrity comparisons that just felt forced and awkward.

You can keep up with Esther, Steve and Derek and learn more on : ||   Website   || Esther the Wonder Pig's Facebook Page ||  Esther's Community Kitchen Facebook Page  ||  Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary  || Twitter  ||  Instagram  ||  Fan Club ||

So, if you'd like to read Esther's story, enter to win one of two copies being given away using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US and Canada, no PO boxes please. Ends June 4/16.

a Rafflecopter giveaway