National Network for Equitable Library Service

"There is no better companion, teacher, or medicine for a child than the family pet." — Anonymous Kids and pets are as timeless a combination as peanut butter and jelly. Pets provide security for kids — a warm buddy to snuggle with on cold winter nights, a sympathetic ear to listen to their woes and secrets (and not tell anybody), a clown of sorts who makes them laugh even when things seem gloomy. And pets find companionship in children, too. Kids give them all the attention they crave and even a few tasty morsels under the dinner table when Mom isn't looking! Mark J. Asher's collection Barking up the Family Tree celebrates that precious, everlasting bond with charming, heartwarming photographs of children and their animals — from dogs and cats to horses and hamsters. Each "awwww"-inspiring photo accompanies a brief "interview" with a child and his or her pet and reveals: * common interests * what the child learned from the pet * what the pet learned from the child * what animal the child would be * what type of person the animal would be