When we were little, stories like Black Beauty, The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, and Charlotte's Web set us dreaming of moving from our mountainside home to the country— ideally still by woods, but also near the sea, and with plenty of animals to raise or ride, and others to watch in the wild.
This was a tall order. Fortunately, it was our parents' dream too, and it came true in August of 1972, when we moved to a coastal apple farm in Watsonville. I had just turned eleven, and Becky was almost five.
The former owners had moved next door to their adjacent property, and left their animals with us until they could build a new barn. So our farm came complete with a Morgan horse, a Shetland pony, two sheep, a flock of Rhode Island Red chickens, a dozen Muscovy ducks, and an imposing goose. The family's old Labrador Retriever and frisky mutt would often wander back to their old home, too.
The ancient red barn was filled with sights, scents, and sounds we'd only read about. Without effort or cost, we had an instant storybook farm.
Shortly after our move, Mom read to us All Creatures Great and Small, the just-published pseudo-autobiography of Yorkshire vet James Wight, under the name James Herriot. I remember Mom laughing so hard she couldn't finish the sentence, and at other scenes, wiping at tears. We picked up on its humor even when we didn't get the joke, and we felt its power to move hearts, including our own.
We now realize Mom must have paraphrased it heavily, as there's a lot of light cussing and heavy drinking in this book, along with some graphic veterinary scenes and anatomy terms. But what wasn't filtered was the impact humans have on creatures—and they on us. The interdependence of domesticated animals and people came through loud and clear, and our responsibility to take care of all creatures, great and small—and domestic and wild.
Dr. Herriot's story taught us what it meant to be good stewards, not just users or playmates, of animals. Until then, our vision of farm life had been taken from novels. With the exception of Black Beauty, we knew no grimy details about the reality of creature caretaking.
All Creatures Great and Small was the perfect book to read before we acquired our own real-life set of farm animals. And it set us up to admire and respect our own local vet, Dr. Meyers (shown here), who made barn calls just like Dr. Herriot had.
In All Creatures Great and Small, Dr. Herriot humorously modeled a work ethic that would guide us when it was "too cold" to do our chores. After all, if Dr. Herriot could drive miles through the snow at two in the morning to pull piglets out of someone else's sow, we could certainly walk 50 yards through the rain to give our own dear horses clean stables. (That pigging scene would alter inspire some riotous fun in our workshop on this book—see "Dr. Herriot's Nightlife Relay" here.)
This "so can you" effect is a powerful reason to read children's literature, or any well-written book that touches hearts and helps kids see what they can do.
And not just kids! When a story pulls us in and makes us feel, we gain empathy, and that's where compassion comes from. But when its protagonist gets over his or her "hump" and shows what must and CAN be done, we get it: if he or she can, we can too.
All Creatures Great and Smallhelped us care for the creatures on our farm, where Becky still lives, but the author's ethics and example extended beyond its bounds. His story wasn't just about a vet's responsibilities, but about compassion, honesty, and respect. He taught us a lot about life.
Our old farm continues to give us wonder-full memories, though the domestic animals are gone now, with the notable exception of Mayday. The vet and feed bills are much lower these days.
But outside, Becky's greeted every morning with a flurry of winged friends who come when she whistles, and a chickadee that follows her around and eats from her hand. For years, Blue the scrub jay was a regular visitor, too.
And there's a pair of silver foxes that glean leftover seed, and bunnies on the "lawn" at dawn and dusk, and gophers underneath it 24/7, and a stag who lifts his rack from behind a bush now and then.
These days, our great and small creatures are free to come and go (except the gophers; we just wish they'd GO). But they all seem to know this old farm is a very good place.
We've loved sharing Dr. Herriot's book with kids in hands-on, sensory ways . . . without blood, slime, whiskey, or cigarettes! Just big doses of fun activities that teach valuable lessons. Come see what you too can do with All Creatures Great and Small! We also have a video workshop on this book.
