Maria Daddino

This collection of short tales reveals the patience and love the author has for the wild creatures that have made her homes sanctuaries for both human and non-human friends alike. Some readers might fear that she anthropomorphizes the ducks and other wildlife that, through her repeated encounters over the years, have come to be familiar personalities and a great source of entertainment for her, given her penchant for naming them and identifying their personal quirks or speculating on their desires. However, the author reveals in glimpses how much she has researched the nature and needs of these creatures, in her very brief forays into , for example, relatively unknown facts about opossums (they eat snail and slugs and are "nature's sanitation engineers"!) or the reluctant but firm decision to intervene only when in the best interests of the animal, ever mindful these are not pets, but wild creatures. In the end, the collection turns out to be a sweet and lively introduction to a small community of wildlife that shared her home, and an excellent reminder that the world is full of more than men. That her wild home lay so close to a major metropolis is surprising, and hopeful. Recommended as a light, enjoyable read!… (mere)