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Title: The Mare's Tale: The Pet Vet, Book 2
Author: Darrel Odgers, Sally Odgers
Narrator: Alan King
Format: Unabridged
Length: 53 mins
Language: English
Release date: 02-27-13
Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
Genres: Kids, Ages 8-10
Publisher's Summary:
Trump has a new case when she accompanies Dr Jeanie on a visit to a mare named Helen of Troy. Helen is due to have a foal, but her close companion, Paris the Dalmatian, isn't well. How can Trump persuade Helen to put Pariss needs before her own? And how can she persuade Paris?
Members Reviews:
Pet Lovers
Awesome book! Cute story for kids who love animals!
Great for my 7 year old
My 7 year old daughter loves this whole series. I recommend this whole series to alk young readers to enjoy!
Fun and Fresh
Title: The Mare's Tale
Author: Darrel and Sally Odgers
Illustrator: Janine Dawson
Genre: Realistic Fantasy (told from the dog's point of view, but has very realistic events)
Age: Early Elementary
Is This Part of a Series?: Yes (book 2 in the Pet Vet series)
*I received a copy of this book as a prize
Summary:
Trup and his owner Dr. Jeanie are doing their rounds around the town of Cowfork, the remnants of the storm from the night before causing various hiccups. Along the way they help some sick calves, talk with some border collies, meet a pregnant and nervous mare, and a sick dalmatian.
Overall Impression:
This book has an engaging premise, cute pictures, and a nice pace. It is fun, educational, and a nice step up from the Billie B. Brown books as a chapter book (with more pages and more words per page).
The Nitty Gritty:
Honestly, there is nothing special about the writing technique in this book--but more importantly, there's nothing wrong with it either. It is simple and straight-forward and, well, rather cutesy. The book is told from the point of view of a dog, Trump, whose experiences as an "Animal Liaison Officer" at Pet Vet Clinic have allowed her to pick up multiple animal languages and a thorough understanding of many species, humans, and illnesses. While this results in a rather anthropomorphized dog, it allows for the children to connect to the book. And it is important to note that there is a good amount of realistic dog behavior in this book as well, despite the heavy dose of human qualities that have been applied to Trump. Overall, it is a pretty good mixture of human and dog behavior, especially considering that this is a children's book.
The story itself is cute, but has no real tension in it (to me, anyway). This isn't necessarily a bad thing and could, in fact, be good for some kids. However, there's never any doubt that things will work out well. Or even that Trump or Dr. Jeanie really have to work hard in order for things to work out well. There are also no temper tantrums, name-calling, or other negative aspects of childhood included in this book. Trump, despite being a dog, is a very relatable character and--from a mom's perspective--is a hard-working, good-natured role model for the children who are reading this book.
Additional Features:
The beginning of this book includes a nice "Welcome to Pet Vet Clinic" section, a "Staff at the Pet Vet Clinic" and "Other Important Characters" section, and a "Map of Pet Vet Clinic" section. These pieces provided a good grounding in the series despite the fact that I was not starting with Book 1.
Vocabulary side bars--throughout the book there are several bolded words (such as isolation and cockatoo) that include a definition box on the same page.