Mary Loftus (Children's Literature)
This book is a well researched and engaging look at the busy days inside a veterinary hospital. Real stories put the reader in the middle of the emergency, whether it is stomach surgery on a dog, or the lifesaving efforts to resuscitate a snake. Color photos throughout nicely complement the text. The animal stories alternate with chapters about the history of vets and pets and a general overview of the animal ER. Animal docs Tim Hackett and Vicki Campbell are profiled, giving readers an idea of the education and background needed to become a vet, as well as a look at the range of animals they see in a day. The death of a pet and the grieving process are also featured in a chapter. Two-page spreads about “toxic treats,” human foods that are dangerous to animals, and a “pet first-aid kit” are helpful, but randomly tucked between chapters. The only drawback of this book is the organization of chapters, but that probably will not stop animal lovers and future veterinarians from enjoying the content. 2005, Houghton Mifflin, $17.00. Ages 9 to 12.

Joan Kindig, Ph.D. (Children's Literature)
This book has to win the award for child-appeal in nonfiction for the year. An adorable pup with an IV line graces the cover and the photos throughout are just as appealing. Informative as well as appealing, each photo is fully captioned, providing more information for children to pore over. Children love the idea of being a vet and seeing in black-and-white what they do is very compelling. Jackson covers a wide variety of animals--from snakes, to birds, to iguanas, to horses--and a variety of aspects of veterinary medicine--preventive medicine, x-rays, surgery, loss and grieving, rattlesnake bites and more. Included in the back matter is a list of things needed for a pet first aid kit, additional resources for budding vets, and a glossary of critical terms used throughout the text. This book will fly off the shelves. 2005, Houghton Mifflin Company, $17.00. Ages 10 to 14.

Allen L. Ingling (Science Books and Films (Vol. 43, No. 2))
This is a pretty little book that gives children a quick look at a veterinary emergency clinic without presenting the downside of it. Most of the cases discussed have happy endings. All of the doctors and staff appear bright and happy, working long hours rescuing severely injured animals. The book also contains a brief history of the profession of veterinary medicine, outlining its development from the blacksmith-horse doctor of the past to today’s modern, more often than not, female, practitioner. Some of the sophisticated medical techniques used to provide support for injured animals and some methods of repairing injuries are also presented. The book carefully avoids any reference to the realities of emergency pet care—mainly that it is extremely expensive and most injured animals probably don’t get it. The one example in the book of a “dummy foal” case in which the animal (and it’s mother) spent 11 days in the hospital and received multiple treatments from both the large- and small-animal resources available probably cost upwards of five thousand dollars. The other extensive case, of a dog hit by a car, is probably in the same ballpark. It can be argued that children should be encouraged by positive exposures to develop their interests, and they will find out the bad stuff later. The photographs are very good, but they unfortunately illustrate not only the points the author wants to make, but a point the author probably did not intend (and which may not be true): that there is no diversity in the field of emergency veterinary care, at least at the site selected by the author. Glossary; Index; C.I.P. Acceptable, Grades PreK-6. 2006, Houghton Mifflin, 88pp., $17.00. Ages 4 to 12.

Deborah Stevenson, Associate Editor (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, December 2005 (Vol. 59, No. 4))
Going ER one better by making the patients cute and fuzzy, ER Vets focuses on the state-of-the-art emergency vet clinic at Colorado State University. The book provides some information about the history of veterinary medicine in general and some of these hospital staffers in particular, but the main stories here are those of the animals. Jackson, who researched on-site at the hospital and took most of the book’s photographs herself, intersperses accounts of specific cases--a dog hit by a car, a foal with oxygen deprivation, a hypothermic snake--with discussion of emergency-room veterinary care in general, while sidebars provide information about topics such as common emergency-room abbreviations and human foods with devastating pet consequences. Though the non-linear organization makes this more a detailed scrapbook than a narrative (and the important issue of cost is never touched upon), the book makes effective use of its exciting and inviting material, making clear that the high-pressure, wildly varied work in the emergency room is indeed a specialization that requires particular abilities as well as interest in animals. The pictures are key in this photodocumentary, and while the setting sometimes limits photographic options, the images are informative and affecting; reproduced x-rays and ’scope pictures add crucial internal views and familiarize readers with the vets’ own tools. The heavily visual layout is occasionally a little overbusy, but the captions and chapter titles keep text chunks easily manageable. This will be an easy sell to animal lovers of various reading levels, and they may also get some ideas about future career options. Extensive end matter includes a list of suggested reading, relevant websites, a glossary, source notes, and an index. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2005, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2005, Houghton, 96p, $17.00. Grades 4-7.

Linda Houck (The Kutztown University Book Review, Spring 2006)
This is a book that tells about working in an animal emergency room and the different problems that the vet team encounters. It even gives a brief history about how society's views about different animals have changed over time. There are case studies of pets and their owners, as well as backgrounds on the veterinarians that work in the emergency room. What a great book to add to your collection, buy it! It has a lot of information about how to care for pets (even exotic ones) and is written at a lower level. It also gives information on veterinary hospitals and the careers of the different people who work there. I really loved the book and so will students. Category: Nonfiction. 2005, Houghton Mifflin, $17.00. Ages 10 to 14.