Book Review: How to Hold Animals by Toshimitsu Matsuhashi

How to Hold Animals

by Toshimitsu Matsuhashi (636.083 Mat)

 

This brand-new, tiny hardbook addition to the libraries’ collection is an English translation of a 2015 book intended for Japanese readers. Author/photographer Matsuhashi works with a pet shop owner, a veterinarian and a reptile shop owner, to create a series of 36 short guides to the best/safest ways to manually handle a variety of common (hamsters, dogs, cats, ferrets) and uncommon (cockroaches, scorpions, crayfish, geckos) animals. Definitely aimed at a Japanese reading audience — many of the animals included are common to Japan, and often end up as pets in Japanese households, but not might be as well-recognized here in the U.S.

 

Each of the guides in How to Hold Animals features very specific text descriptions of how to pick up and hold the type of creature, with (usually) helpful illustrative photos. Each guide features small sidebar “datafiles”, giving the size, origin and natural habitats (in the wild) of each animal. Some guides offer more than one example of a subspecies — for example, the guides for dragonflies and butterflies show how to hold 5 or 6 different varieties of each, and several different types of snakes are included.

 

Some of the chosen animals, you may be thinking to yourself “why would I ever want to hold one of these?” Matsuhashi goes to great lengths to suggest scenarios in which you might have to hold them, or explain to others how best to safely hold such a creature. This is a light, simple read, filled with simple, useful information for anyone who’s adventurous around animals. Don’t expect detailed care guides for the included animals, but if you’ve ever wondered what the best way to pick up a snapping turtle, sugar glider, hedgehog, prairie dog or monitor lizard is, this fun little book will give you the basics!

 

[ publisher’s official How to Hold Animals web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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