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Summary
Summary
The famous veterinarian/writer shares the true story of how an independent-minded stray cat gives a woman and her three Basset hounds a Christmas present.
Author Notes
James Herriot was born James Alfred Wight in Sunderland, England on October 3, 1916. He and his family moved to Glasgow, Scotland in late October of 1916. Herriot attended Yoker Primary School from August 1921 to June 1928. He went on to attend Hillhead High School from September 1928 to 30 June 1933, before graduating from Glasgow Veterinary College in 1939. Herriot got a job at the Yorkshire practice of J. Donald Sinclair in 1940. He was a part of the Royal Air Force from 1941 to 1943.
In 1966 Herriot began writing at the age of 50. In 1972, All Creatures Great and Small is published, followed by All Things Bright and Beautiful in 1974. On February 4, 1975, Herriot received the American Veterinary Medical Association's Award of Appreciation. In 1977, All Things Wise and Wonderful is published, and a year later the BBC television series of All Creatues Great and Small begins. In 1979, Herriot receives the Order of the British Empire and honorary Litt.D. From Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. He follows that honor with the publication of The Lord God Made Them All in 1981.The following year, Herriot is made a fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and in 1983, receives an honorary D.V.Sc. from Liverpool University.
Nearly a decade later, Herriot publishes Every Living Thing in 1992. He had written 15 books, which sold 50 million copies in 20 countries and worked as a vet for over 50 years before finally retiring. James Herriot died February 23, 1995, at the age of 78 of cancer.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-4 A well illustrated, but very slight story from James Herriot's seemingly unending supply of anecdotes as a country vet. This is part of a series including Moses the Kitten (1984) and Only One Woof (1985, both St. Martin's Pr) . The paintings are rich in the color and texture of the Yorkshire setting, but they cannot offset the fact that there isn't much to the story itself. It concerns a rather mysterious and independent cat who frequently visits Mrs. Pickering's house. One Christmas before the cat dies, she brings her small kitten to Mrs. Pickering for care. There amongst Mrs. Pickering's two sedate basset hounds, she thrives. Later Mrs. Pickering delights in showing Herriot an amazing feat: unlike the hounds, the kitten retrieves a ball tossed by her. To Mrs. Pickering it is the best Christmas present she has ever had. It's unlikely that children will be that impressed.Judith Gloyer, Milwaukee Public Lib . (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The noted veterinarian and storyteller recalls a Christmas morning when he was summoned to the home of Mrs. Pickering. Usually he called on her Basset hounds, but this time the woman's concern was for a mother cat that was sick. The cat, a stray that occasionally hung around at Mrs. Pickering's, had brought her kitten with her and then died. Mrs. Pickering keeps the kitten, which grows up to become a ``retriever-cat,'' fetching balls and setting them at his mistress's feet. Portraits of Mrs. Pickering and her animals, elegantly executed by Brown, round out this story about the quiet joy of the miracle of birth. It portrays a holiday spirit usually associated with the past: that the humblest of pleasures are the ones most keenly felt. (All ages (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Well-known vet Herriot retells his true story of Debbie, a mysterious stray who makes occasional brief visits to the Pickerings, until one Christmas she arrives with a single newborn kitten and then dies, leaving Mrs. Picketing, heretofore a dog-owner, entranced with her first cat. In Herriot's straightforward narration, the events provide their own drama, in this case much enriched by Brown's splendid double-spread paintings, drawing the observer right into the mellow Yorkshire landscape or up to the cozy hearth. An animal illustrator par excellence (Our Cat Flossie, p. 1288), Brown charmingly de picts both basset hounds and cats. A minor incident, well-dressed to provide a refreshing charge among holiday books. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 1-3, younger for reading aloud. Herriot tells a simple but affecting story about a stray country cat whose legacy made one farm woman's Christmas particularly memorable. The narrative is disarmingly direct with an intimacy that draws the listener quickly into the story. Its events concern a homeless but independent cat Mrs. Pickering feeds whenever the little tabby turns up. The woman dubs the animal Debbie and extends affection, but the cat keeps her distance except for her inexplicable choice to sometimes sit by the fire for a few minutes before slipping away again. Then, on Christmas morning, Debbie appears with one kitten in her mouth and then collapses. Herriot is called but there's nothing to be done for Debbie; her kitten, however, is taken in without question just as it seemed the cat wished. ``I've never had a cat before,'' says Mrs. Pickering. ``Well, it looks as though you've got one now,'' replies Herriot. The illustrations have a brooding, dark mood that's tempered by the emotion in the faces of both animals and humans. Brown is especially good with her cat portraits, which are at once affectionate and knowing. A sentimental but undeniably touching story. DMW. 828'.91403 Cats Anecdotes [OCLC] 86-13890