Animal Hospital: Rescuing Urban Wildlife

Gr 4–6—This informative book examines the work of the Toronto Wildlife Center and offers suggestions about saving urban wildlife. Using examples of cases handled by the Center, Coey efficiently details how animals are rescued, describes the rehabilitation operations, and stresses the importance of releasing animals back into their natural environments. Throughout, she emphasizes ways humans should and should not interact with urban wildlife. The writing style is direct and accessible. Sidebars add extra detail. Attractive photographs vary in size from a bit larger than a postage stamp to full pages and depict animals such as squirrels, opossum, raccoons, skunks, assorted birds, rabbits, and mink. The book lacks a glossary, and readers may be confused by terms such as bandicoots and quendas. Susan E. Goodman's Animal Rescue: The Best Job There Is (S. & S., 2000) follows the work of one wildlife rescuer participating in wildlife rescues in different regions of the world. Sally Morgan's Animal Rescue (Cherrytree, 2010) covers animal rescue in areas such as the rainforest and ocean. Coey's treatment is limited to wildlife in urban settings but has more depth.