Product Description

"Christmas can never go by without my remembering a certain little cat."

So begins The Christmas Day Kitten, another true story from James Herriot's rich experience as a country vet. As always, the tale includes a vivid group of characters on two legs and four: Mrs. Pickering and her three stately Basset hounds, James himself, and Debbie, the self-possesed stray cat who makes a special contribution to Christmas at the Pickering house. This is one of James Herriot's own favorite stories, and it is sure to be one of yours.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #275723 in Books
• Published on: 1993-09-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The noted veterinarian and storyteller recalls a Christmas morning when he was summoned to the home of Mrs. Pickering. Usually he called on her Basset hounds, but this time the woman's concern was for a mother cat that was sick. The cat, a stray that occasionally hung around at Mrs. Pickering's, had brought her kitten with her and then died. Mrs. Pickering keeps the kitten, which grows up to become a "retriever-cat," fetching balls and setting them at his mistress's feet. Portraits of Mrs. Pickering and her animals, elegantly executed by Brown, round out this story about the quiet joy of the miracle of birth. It portrays a holiday spirit usually associated with the past: that the humblest of pleasures are the ones most keenly felt. (All ages
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
K-4 A well illustrated, but very slight story from James Herriot's seemingly unending supply of anecdotes as a country vet. This is part of a series including Moses the Kitten (1984) and Only One Woof (1985, both St. Martin's Pr) . The paintings are rich in the color and texture of the Yorkshire setting, but they cannot offset the fact that there isn't much to the story itself. It concerns a rather mysterious and independent cat who frequently visits Mrs. Pickering's house. One Christmas before the cat dies, she brings her small kitten to Mrs. Pickering for care. There amongst Mrs. Pickering's two sedate basset hounds, she thrives. Later Mrs. Pickering delights in showing Herriot an amazing feat: unlike the hounds, the kitten retrieves a ball tossed by her. To Mrs. Pickering it is the best Christmas present she has ever had. It's unlikely that children will be that impressed.Judith Gloyer, Milwaukee Public Lib .
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Alf Wight ("James Herriot") was born on 3 October 1916 in Sunderland, near Newcastle. However the family moved to Yoker, a suburb of Glasgow, when Alf was three weeks old. He attended Glasgow Veterinary School. He moved to Thirsk, North Yorkshire, in 1940, to work for Donald Sinclair ("Siegfried Farnon") at his practice at 23 Kirkgate. He married Joan Danbury ("Helen Alderson") on 5 November 1941 at St Mary Magdalene church in Thirsk. They had two children, Jim (born 1943) and Rosie (born 1947): Jim is a vet who used to work in the Sinclair/Wight practice and Rosie is a General Practitioner (family doctor). Alf died on 23 February 1995 of prostate cancer at his house, "Mirebeck", in the village of Thirlby near the town of Thirsk that became famous in his books as "Darrowby".

Customer Reviews

Heartwarming Story
Not having been familiar with the work of James Herriot before this book, I was happily surprised when I read this to my little cat-loving daughter this christmas season. This is a touching story which brought us both to tears, but gave a joyful smile as we reached the end of the story. Truly a story to be shared with every child at christmas!

Irresistable!
This picture book, although written for children, can be enjoyed by people of all ages, especially cat lovers! James Harriot has a style of story-telling that draws you in and doesn't let you go until you've finished the story. This story is just a small sampling of the many wonderful vet stories that Harriot has to tell.

A good book for a long, hard day.
This book is the epitamy of heartwarming. After all the sad, depressing things that happen in today's world, this book (and all of James Herriot's stories) makes you feel a lot better. Perfect for kids, this book will warm the souls of everyone.

Even though I haven't read this book since I was younger, I remember it as having a perfect happy ending. Even if you don't buy it, you should at least go to the library and check it out. You might like it enough to buy it anyways :)