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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
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33607002416033 | Picture Books | ASKANI | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
Tanja Askani has always been a friend to animals. Ever since she was a child, she has adopted animalsthat were orphaned or injured, nursed them to health, and either found homes for them or set them free.At her own home, she keeps wolf pups, raccoons, owls, rabbits, and fawns, among others. Under her care,unexpected friendships form.This collection of Tanja's heart-melting photographs, accompanied by simple text celebrating the comfortsand delights of friendship, is sure to appeal to anyone who loves animals and appreciates a true friend.
Author Notes
Tanja Askani takes diligent care of her large adoptive family at home, and also regularly visits the wolf packthat she established at a nearby wildlife preserve. She is the author of a book for adults called Kinship withthe Wolf. A Friend Like You is her first book for children. Tanja lives in Germany, near Hamburg, with herdaughter.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Photographs of surprising animal companions (a piglet and a dog, a deer and a rabbit, etc.) are paired with a text that touts the importance of friendship. The large, clear, well-lit photos were taken by Askani, who lives at a game park in Germany and has cared for numerous wild animals throughout her life. While these photographs are charming, the sentimental text is disappointing ("Even if you think I am.different. Something just tells me we are going to get along."). The anthropomorphism actually weakens the impact of the pictures by distracting readers from the reality of these unusual relationships. More successful is the end matter in which children learn about the author's work with animals and get a little background on each of the creatures depicted. These stories are the heart of the book, and a focus on this material could have created a powerful piece of nonfiction along the lines of Isabella and Craig Hatkoff and Paula Kahumbu's Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship (Scholastic, 2006). Despite this missed opportunity, the pictures are sure to draw readers' interest.-Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Askani runs an animal refuge/rehab center out of her home in Germany, and the unlikely and almost criminally adorable friendships that have sprung up among the inhabitants are the subject of this book. Many of Askani's photographs depict some kind of nuzzling (a piglet bumps noses with a puppy; a dormouse seems to steal a kiss from a turtle) but other images fall into the "critters do the darnedest things" category (a pointer sits placidly as a song thrush perches on his head; a rabbit seems to stick out his tongue to tease a hedgehog). That the accompanying text, usually set within swoopy boxes opposite the photos, never rises above the level of a greeting card ("Being friends is easy... when the friends are you and me,") is beside the point: readers will supply text of their own, certain to coo and say "aww" every time they turn the page. They'll also pore over the closing section, which gives the names and histories of all of the animals featured. Ages 4-8. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved