Not quite sure how to review this book, since its such a subjective thing. I think it really depends on your style/personality/what you're into. This book is well made, with thick pages, some neat pictures, and a built-in fabric bookmark. The content is definitely interesting, but just not really my style. Guess I thought these would be a little more hopeful and uplifting, but they mostly feel dark or unsettling or just confusing. I've attached some images, so maybe you can see if this is more up your alley before ordering.
This might be the prettiest hardcover book I own. I have to applaud the art direction by Bredna Lago and Illustrations by Daniela Gallego. Well done, extremely pretty. It's a breath of fresh air to see a collection of works such as this without hastily done artwork so that is appreciated.As with any collection of poems, some will speak to you and others may not but this is a well-done cohesive vision none-the-less. Again, the design is impeccable, even down to the organization of the content with clear thematic breaks and a thoughtful section at the end to learn a little bit about each contributor.Lovely addition to my bookshelf.
I got this book for me and my son to read together. It was a very wise choice. The book is absolutely wonderful. It has beautiful poems and illustrations, all of which center around different animals. This book has peaked my sons interest in poems. Overall would recommend.
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This book is a treasure. The Gift of Animals: Poems of Love, Loss, and Connection has touched a part of my heart that I thought had been lost since childhood. I have always felt that animals are a true gift from God. This book brought me to tears, smiles, and deep reflection. If I cannot find the answer, I have always looked in nature. This world would certainly be a much lonelier place without animals. This book is beautifully illustrated and so well written. I will read it again and again. I will be buying more to give as gifts.
The hardcover and printing looks and feels well made. The center of the book has a bookmark that saves your current or favorite poem.
I was immediately drawn to this book, as a lover of animals, art, and poetry. And it doesn't disappoint!The book looks just like the product photos and is really high quality and well made. The cover is soft and gorgeously illustrated, and there's a built-in ribbon bookmark. The artwork throughout is just as beautiful and captivating. And so is the writing. There's a really interesting forward prefacing the poetry. The poems read fluidly and have a compelling rhythm to them. And the content of them and meaning behind each one is very moving.Overall, it’s excellent! I love and highly recommend it!
I somehow missed the "Hardcover" next to the book when I ordered it, so I was surprised to receive a hefty hardcover that feels so good to hold in my hands. Once you open the book to read some of the poems, you will be immersed in a haunting, but beautiful journey of the connection we have with animals that surround us. It is a book you can pick up and read for a few minutes at a time and still immensely enjoy. Well written, and beautifully printed.
This book is really heartwrenching. I have a super soft spot for animals and some of the poems of loss left me heart broken. I got this book for my little sister and she loved it though. The book is illustrated beautifully. The pages are glossy and the binding is great. That’s as much as I can say about it because after 2 sad poems I couldn’t read anymore. She really enjoyed it though and said it gave her a lot to think about.
This book is filled with short excerpts, and has a beautiful assortment of animal related artwork. I think that this is good to read with a cozy blanket on the couch, or even some with young children. The book makes for a great gift for animal lovers, or is perfect to put out as a coffee table read. I think that’s anybody can find a piece in here that is relatable, but nonetheless, it is all well written!
This is a nice collection of poems. They are well written and thought provoking.
I’ve enjoyed most of these poems, although some of them I didn’t relate to as much, or even found uncomfortable (especially in the “Fear and Vulnerability” category). There is a pretty wide variety of styles and messages, but all of them include animals and nature in some way, and many comment on the human experience either directly or indirectly. Some of these poems could be enjoyed by children, but I think adults are the intended audience as many of the themes are more mature and thought provoking—or even violent. Enough of them are beautiful and captivating that I do recommend this, even though I didn’t enjoy every poem.
This is a nice collection of poems focusing on the animals, the world around them and their impact. Well organized into different sections, this is a collection of many different types and styles of poetry. I really like the choice and placement of the pictures.Great to gift for the poet and animal lover alike.⭐️ 1 star - I don't recommend it at all.⭐️⭐️ 2 stars - I don't recommend it, poorly written or bad information.⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars - Good Book. Not for me. Not the most well written.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars - Very good book quite, I would recommend and well written.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars - Book that I totally recommend and could not put down. Well written and a book I would read again
I admittedly ordered this book because of the cover. I love animals and have a lot of deer that visit. I very much enjoy poetry even tho I doubt I could write it. This book is for everyone who loves animals, and will lead you thru their lives from their view. There is so much to learn, and so many cultures have contributed, it is a brilliant idea to do the book this way. I love the illustrations and how each author has a bio and the book is divided into sections. It has nice thick paper and a sturdy hard cover. I will display this book proudly and am sure visitor will enjoy it too.
This is a wonderful book, and good quality materials (not cheap paper, bound very well, hardback is more than adequate).I'm only part way through the book, but the poems are wonderful with beautiful illustrations throughout.I'm not much of a poetry person - I intended to give this to my 11-year old niece - but I found myself moved by many of the poems.Overall this is a terrific collection of work and I'm really happy to have come across it. I'm giving it a very rare (by me) 5-stars.
I will start off saying that I was hoping this was a coffee table-sized book, but that is on me since I didn’t pay attention to the dimensions. It is a quite small book, not the type I would usually display on a coffee table. Also, I was hoping for more illustrations, but the ones provided are quite inadequate, and look to be some good quality art overall. It is a quite intriguing, diverse collection of poems, and even if poetry is not your main interest, I recommend delving into a few of these because they do make you think a bit more from the side of the animal world and how it integrates with our human world. Lastly, I’ll mention, I thought it might be more oriented to children, but I do not think that is the case.
This is a lovely book for those in your life that love, respect and adore the animals in this world. The poems are well written and many bring on emotions, the ones of loss really brought more to me than the others. While, yes, there is more than poems within this book that's the main aspect of this book. The illustrations/artwork within are lovely and well done. Since AI I do look closer when it's using a subject but all these look to be actually handmade. The price does seem a little more than I'd personally think a book like this would be, I cannot complain if I was to buy another copy for a gift especially because it's a hardback.
We are animal lovers in our house, and based on the cover alone I was ready to order this. However, when I received it, it impressed me so much that I put down what I had been reading already and immediately devoured this book.To say that it is EXCELLENT in every way is not even doing it justice. It's beautifully designed - nice hardbound construction (no dust jacket, which really works well for this), nice quality paper on the interior...it has a warm and earthy feeling to is which is the perfect vibe, given the subject. The illustrations are GORGEOUS and perfectly matched with the poems on it's pages. You can see the inspirations for these, drawing from various Indigenous cultures including the Inuit and the Potawatomi. The poems are beautiful - poignant and thought provoking, and reading this brought some food for thought, and some moved me to tears. I love that there is a short bio of each poet included too, in case you want to further explore any of their works.This whole book is a love letter to animals and how they profoundly impact our lives - giving us loyal companionship that we are sometimes not even worthy of. I learned some things too, which is always a good thing...especially how animals protect their young, and how they sometimes operate in the shadows or in the background yet they are all an important part of the earth's ecosystem. Even the smallest of creatures have representation here...which is wonderful.If you are an animal lover, do yourself a favor and order one for yourself. Then order another for a friend who is an animal lover too. They will no doubt be grateful that you shared this beautiful book with them. One of the most enjoyable reads I've had this year. Cannot recommend this book enough!!
This is a very nicely presented hardbound book (no jacket). There are many poems (by well-known and not-as-well-known poets), and they are grouped into sections. Each section has an illustration and an introduction. At the end, there is a short bio of each poet, as well as a comprehensive permissions list.Putting together such an extensive collection is no small feat! I will say, though, that some of the poems are rather disturbing (such as the poem about the "carnivore" and another about rabbits dying in a fire).
I appreciate the chance to add this book to my ever growing collection of books about animals. There is so much information to glean regarding the lives of many different kinds of animals. The book covers subjects such as Praise, Laments, Companionship, Fear, Vulnerability, and much more. The connection to the feelings one has toward animals is right there on each page. So happy to have this reading of very high regard for the love and connections to those who share living on this planet.
This is a haunting, beautiful collection of poems about our complex relationships with animals of all kinds. I was repeatedly moved at the unique ways of describing different animals, and both our joy and grief at knowing and having known them. We are forever changed by loving an animal, if we will fully let them into our hearts.
