An Award Winning Animal Book

Curious Creatures-Wondrous Waifs, My Life with Animals is a book for animal lovers of all ages.

(PRWEB) November 23, 2004 -- Curious Creatures-Wondrous Waifs, My Life with Animals, by Ed Kostro, is a nonfiction memoir celebrating the authors 50-year love affair with all creatures -- great and small. This book has received a Certificate of Excellence in the 2004 International Cat Writers Association Communications Contest.

And this is what the critics have to say about this book:

Steve Dale, Tribune Media Services Columnist and Host of Animal Planet Radio:
"Join the author on his personal journeys. You'll meet lots of dogs and cats, but also learn a little about what pot-bellied pigs wonder about, and hear the songs of canaries. This is a very personal account. For example, on Kostro's 50th birthday, he was feeling the angst of a mid-life crisis. He felt better after he stripped naked in his garage, as his various animals watched with amusement. Kostro doesn't say what they were amused about!

"This is the kind of book you don't see much of anymore on the pet shelves. It's not a 'how to' book. It's just plain old-fashioned story telling."

Midwest Book Review:
Knowledgeably written by Ed Kostro (animal shelter volunteer, animal rights activist, and published member of the Cat Writers' Association), Curious Creatures -- Wondrous Waifs: My Life With Animals is a compelling and informative look back on a life filled with close observation of nature's wild and wonderful creatures, ranging from eagles, moose, and raccoons to pot-bellied pigs and parakeets. Respect, wry humor, and thoughtful reflections upon the animal point of view combine to make for a thoroughly fascinating assortment of anecdotes from a true animal lover."

The Animal Radio Network:
"This is one of those books that you can't put down. It's definitely a page turner. This book contains many short stories as Ed takes you on an incredible journey of his life, from his childhood into his manhood. But, it is clear from the beginning that his love for the animals has always been there. It is humorous, playful and sometimes saddening.

"If you have read this book, you are an animal lover and can relate to some of his stories. If you have not read this book, I would highly recommend it - it may even turn you into an animal lover. Let's hope for a sequel!!"

Animal People Newspaper:
Kostros journey starts when he is a three-year-old living in the inner city with his Polish immigrant parents and grandparents. As a boy he often rescued animals; as a teenager he found summer camp a place of untold discovery; and his relationships with animals, especially his little dog Pepper, fared better than his marriage, which ended in divorce.

I truly believe that my encounters with all sorts of animals have been an integral part of making me who I am today----an avowed 'animal person," Kostro writes. There are plenty of amusing stories. For example, he finds a baby robin that has fallen out of her nest. Up goes a huge ladder and the baby is returned to a full nest of robin chicks. As one chick is replaced and Kostro climbs down, another is pushed out and there begins a procession of returning robin chicks to the rather inadequate nest. A large crowd of neighbors gathers to watch. Eventually an onlooker yells out to Kostro to enlarge the nest. Thus the see-saw of rescuer and robins came to a happy ending for all.

"Kostro describes the desolation resulting from urban decay and suburban sprawl, which kills the natural beauty of a citys surroundings, and the impact that this has upon family values. He emphasizes simple values that seem to have been lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday living.

"Each chapter is an excellent bedtime story."

Paperback: 217 pages
Publisher: PublishAmerica.com
ISBN:1413701221

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