This very entertaining book by comedian Bill Bailey is packed with anecdotes about animals he has met. Many of these are animals he has looked after, while others are animals he has met in the wild. There are dogs, cats, rabbits, parrots, chameleons, snakes, giant snails, jaguars, monkeys, chickens, hissing cockroaches, weird glowing woodlice, and more!

I liked that the chapters are short and look back fondly at these memories, without anything too heavy or upsetting. Not only are the stories funny, or insightful (or both), we can also learn from them. For example, do not run after a dog, while holding a trifle (actually do not run with a trifle at all). If you take your parrot to the cinema, be prepared to cover for the parrot when it starts singing to the music.

This is an amusing, uplifting book for anyone who loves animals. I recommend the audiobook, which is read by the author.

Published by Quercus, 2024.