THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF JAMES HERRIOT by James Herriot (636.089 HE) is a collection of classic stories written by Yorkshire veterinarian, James Alfred Wight, who worked in the English countryside for almost fifty years. The foreword is a mini biography written by his children which launches into several of his cherished animal stories about cats, dogs, cows, pigs, chickens and other farm animals, along with tales of people from the area. These are gentle stories guaranteed to tug at your heart strings.

More of Herriot’s books can be found in adult nonfiction (921 Herriot), such as ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL (1972); ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL (1974); ALL THINGS WISE AND WONDERFUL (1977); THE LORD GOD MADE THEM ALL (1981); and EVERY LIVING THING (1992).

These stories are too engaging to be kept on the printed page, so they were also captured on film. ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, Seasons 1-4 is now available on DVD at the library. This is the 2021 PBS screen adaptation of Herriot’s books, now filming its fifth season with an impressive cast of outstanding British actors and script writers. The stunning landscapes of Yorkshire and rich storylines will keep viewers watching the next episode, and the next, and the one after that.

The library also has an older version of ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, Seasons 1-7 of the BBC television series which was broadcast between 1978 and 1990. It wasn’t available on DVD until 2012, but viewers will recognize the familiar stories and the characters within. It also includes beautiful views of the English countryside.

YOUNG JAMES HERRIOT, a three part series of the beloved vet’s life, was filmed for Acorn TV in 2010 and can be found alongside the other two series in the DVD section under TV and the title.

Herriot’s stories live on in THE YORKSHIRE VET, a documentary series that features the Skeldale Veterinary Centre in Thirsk, made famous by the original books. It can be found on various streaming services. A few episodes of the newer series may be requested through inter-library loan from MeL.org.

Readers can also find JAMES HERRIOT’S ANIMAL STORIES (636.089 HE), JAMES HERRIOT’S FAVORITE DOG STORIES (636.7 HE), and JAMES HERRIOT’S CAT STORIES (636.8 HE) alongside books about caring for domestic animals, such as horses, dog, cats, rabbits, hamsters, etc.. Some of these same stories have been made into picture books, and can be found in the children’s room by author’s last name.

By Lynette Suckow

Reference Librarian