Review Detail

How to Be a Vet and Other Animal Jobs

Middle Grade Non-Fiction 210

Helpful Career Information for Animal Lovers

May 06, 2024

Overall rating

4.3

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Learning Value

5.0

There is apparently a shortage of veterinarians in many parts of the US, and as a lover of dogs, I was glad to see this book, which could be used to encourage middle grade readers to pursue the profession! Starting with what a vet is, and the sorts of tools they might need to do their job, this book continues on and describes in more detail the sorts of things vets can expect to do. There is information on how to become a vet, on the different types of vets, and brief discussions about other animal related jobs that are available. In addition to jobs like small and large domestic animal doctors, positions like exotic animal vets, support service providers like groomers, and animal science researchers are mentioned.

There is a very interesting history of veterinary medicine; I didn't know that small animal veterinary practices didn't become commonplace until the 1900s, or that Louis J. Camuti was the first vet to specialize in cats! It makes sense that, fifty years ago, most vets were men, but also isn't surprising that about half are now women!

Good Points

All of the specialized terms are explained nicely, with bold face type drawing attention to words that young readers may not have met. The illustrations do a good job of showing the different types of tools, animals, and working venues that vets might come across. I was a little surprised that there wasn't an index, but since the book is fairly short, it's easy to flip through to find infrmation.

The pictures are done in a pleasant, simple style, and the people shown represent a variety of cultural backgrounds and ability types. The colors are bright and engaging, and the animal representations are realistic.

Whether children want to be a small animal vet, snake milker, or zoo designer, this book has plenty of information about how to train for the job and what the work would entail. This is a great book for middle grade readers, and has more information than shorter books like I Want to Be a Veterinarian by Driscoll and Echeverri, I Can Be a Farm Vet (Barbie) by Jordan and Riley, or Martin's Vet Academy.