H is for James Herriot

England was always going to be a part of my A to Z Bookshelves Challenge but I didn't realize how much of England's Yorkshire would be present.  Today's favorite is James Herriot, the country vet made famous by his books which became the much-loved television series, All Creatures Great and Small.  My first favorite is for all of the parents and grandparents who are reading, James Herriot's Treasury for Children.

Sophia and I loved the stories of Moses, Bonny, Oscar, and Smudge among others.  I'll leave you to find out from the stories the identity of these delightful characters.  The wonderful stories are enhanced by the beautiful illustrations by Ruth Brown and Peter Barrett.  Delight your children and grandchildren by sharing these stories with them.

 I love all of James Herriot's books and I have a wonderful compilation, The Best of James Herriot, from The Reader's Digest Association.  It has stories from James Herriot's original books with additional material by Reader's Digest editors including beautiful photographs and all sorts of little did-you-know sidebars.

James Herriot's Darrowby, the town where the young vet got his first job with Siegfried Farnon is not one but four places in Yorkshire - it is a composite of Richmond, Thirsk, Leyburn, and Middleham.  When we visited Yorkshire, we took a field trip to Thirsk and toured The World of James Herriot, a museum housed in James Herriot's (real name:  James Alfred "Alf" Wight, OBE, FRCVS) surgery.  It is a fascinating place to visit.

Sophia and I are huge fans of the All Creatures Great and Small DVD series.  We would spend many evenings with chips and gravy and, as we call it, some "James".  A little England fix to warm the heart.