CRITTER TALES BOOK REVIEW

I had the pleasure of reading another book from a fellow blogger.  Many of you know Leigh Tate from her blog 5 Acres and a Dream where she is chronicling their journey.  If you don't know her, well then get on over there and check it out!  In 2014, she released her first book, which I reviewed HERE.

Now she is back (not that she ever went anywhere, ha) with a new book that is just as wonderfully informative as the first one.  It's called "Critter Tales".  A book that covers everything you might want to know (or were afraid to ask) about having animals/livestock on your homestead.  From dogs and cats, to chickens and guineas, to llamas and goats, even honeybees!  The book is well over 300 hundred pages long and chock full of photos and resources.

This covers it all.  In fact you might say the good, the bad and the ugly.  We all know in our hearts that we want animals and livestock on our homesteads and farms but we also know, somewhere in the back of our heads, that it's not going to be as easy as it looks or sounds.  But she and her husband have been through it all, from first getting them and figuring out where to put them, to what to feed them, to what happens during illness and yes, even the end of life...and in this book, she covers all of that.  Since each section (covering different animals) ends with a description from Leigh about how the particular animal you just read about fits into their self sufficiency goals for their homestead, it really helps us to piece together the puzzle of how we are all, animals included, connected.

Will we make mistakes when any of us get animals for our farms/homes?  Sure.  Does this book mean we won't have to experience what she has?  Of course not.  There will be loss, there will be trials, and there will be tribulations.  But as you learn from Leigh, there will be many more moments of joy and hope and satisfaction.  Animals, as she so eloquently reminds us in each section, have minds and personalities of their own.  They don't follow what every book says, what the vet says, what the 'expert' says, but with Leigh's shared experience, you just might at least be prepared for the inevitable missing animal, sick animal, predator, surprise birth, etc that can happen.  You'll also fall in love with many of her animals, especially the dogs and cats.

Click here to visit her blog

So grab a copy of the book, it's both a reference manual and a personal story in one engaging book.  It would make a great gift for your own reading list or for someone on your gift list.  It's both hopeful and realistic, both uplifting and informative.

Here is the Amazon link:

Critter Tales: What my homestead critters have taught me about themselves, their world, and how to be a part of it

This link to the publishing company has all the online places where the book is available:

http://kikobian.com

Just like her last book, we will use this one as a very valuable addition to our permanent collection of homesteading books.  It's a must have for sure.  We still hope that someday, when our farm grows up, it will be as awesome as hers.

Thanks, once again, for sharing your journey and knowledge with us Leigh!