Whoooo Knows and Other Backyard Tales by Patrick Holliday

Reviewed By Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite

Mother Nature has lots of wonders to share with us, if we only take the time to listen, to observe, to care. Animals interact with one another in unique ways, and their actions haven’t changed over time. The birds, the fish, and the furry animals of all shapes and sizes go about their lives the same way they have done from one generation to the next. Animals live in the moment, a lesson we could all benefit from. There’s the squirrel who jumps from one tree to the next like an acrobat artist, the playful young deer looking for a friend, and the funny antics of the blue-footed booby bird, to name but a few. And they all have interesting stories to share.

Patrick Holliday’s book, Whoooo Knows and Other Backyard Tales, is a collection of compassion and sometimes humorous stories of the animal kingdom. A nature lover, this author has woven his life and the stories he writes around the interesting and unique qualities of the many animals, fish and birds that occupy this planet. Everything in life is a story and this collection opens the doors of young readers’ interest and imagination as they listen to, or read themselves, some of the fascinating things animals do. The stories are told in narrative form, much like a soothing fable or a fairy tale (only these stories, for the most part, are true). Each story is accompanied by a line drawing of the animal featured in the story. Like Beatrix Potter’s classic animal tales, this collection will warm the heart.