I discovered this book on a list of best short books. Sometimes you just need a good, quick read as a palate cleanser. Other times it serves as far more than that, and How to Be a Good Creature is one of those books.

Every animal lover should read this. It’s beautiful, heartfelt, and styled unlike any other memoir I’ve read. I now want to go buy my kids every one of Sy Montgomery’s children’s books, and I’m feeling kind of inspired to write some of my own anecdotes from life on a farm. ( )

I read [a:Sy Montgomery|13364|Sy Montgomery|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1530470075p2/13364.jpg]'s [b:Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest|63714|Journey of the Pink Dolphins An Amazon Quest|Sy Montgomery|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388278520l/63714._SY75_.jpg|61868] when I was in sixth grade, and am regularly on the lookout for her works as she treats the natural world with such emotion and feeling. I was less fond of this as an adult reading [b:The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness|22609485|The Soul of an Octopus A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness|Sy Montgomery|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425611143l/22609485._SY75_.jpg|42099445], partially because it felt more like a personal account rather than digging into what determines consciousness, but she definitely finds the heart in the mystery of our wild world.

How to Be a Good Creature is a memoir told through various animals she spent time with in her life. A short read with delightful pictures, I imagine if you've read [b:The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood|133803|The Good Good Pig The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood|Sy Montgomery|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320407831l/133803._SY75_.jpg|24705] or Soul of an Octopus you've already got some of the story beats, but HtBaGC puts them in shorter stories amidst others, including the dogs she's loved and lived with and the critters she became friends with through research expeditions.

A good read for animal lovers, maybe not so much for people who don't personify the critters in their lives. ( )

This brief and touching "memoir in thirteen animals" shares the author's relationships with several dogs, a pig, a flock of chickens (the Ladies), assorted wilder creatures, and Octavia, the octopus in the New England Aquariaum who inspired Montgomery's book, Soul of an Octopus. Each chapter is a vignette of Ms. Montgomery's interaction with one of the animals who affected her emotional life in significant ways. Light reading, lovely illustrations. ( )

Charming. ( )

A delightful book!

The author tells autobiographical stories of pets and animals she's researched. Each animal has made an impact in the author's life.

I loved her stories about her pets: dogs, chickens, a pig. But what was unexpected is how she brought tarantulas and octopi to life in such a warm and loving way. Got to admit, I still wouldn't want to handle those creatures, but I appreciate that she appreciates those animals.

There were some stories of her childhood and her family woven into the fabric of the book. She brushes over these incidents, but clearly didn't have a warm and fuzzy mother! And animals seemed to take a place where family might otherwise go.

This was 100% a feel good book and a wonderful read. ( )