The Travelling Vet
Jonathan Cranston
Jonathan Cranston writes an interesting non-fiction book composed of short anecdotes from his years of veterinary practice both in Britain and in more exotic locations. Each chapter concludes with a fact sheet on the animal discussed in the chapter. I found out some very interesting facts; such as that a group of Leopards is a Leap and a group of Rhinos is a Crash!
Despite the somewhat gory descriptions of Rhino poaching, this book is definitely suitable for younger readers interested in animals. I’m going to try it for a 9.5 year old girl who is passionate about reading and David Attenborough films. It’s a great primer about both the glory and the boredom of being a vet in practice.
This is a very attractive hardback book that I felt proud to be carrying around with me (is it strange to say that?). My old James Herriot novels weren’t a matched set and were properly beaten up by the time I had read and reread them (I once upon a time wanted to be a vet). It begs the questions though: why are all vets with popular mainstream novels from Britain? Why don’t we have any Australian vets with great stories? I mean, I’m sure we do, but it hasn’t come to my attention yet.
I used this as light reading that I could dip in and out of before bed, and while travelling in the car. It’s not in my pile for rereading, but I think it has earned a place on my shelf as a modern veterinary book.
Allen & Unwin | 28th November 2018 | AU$35.00 | hardback
