All Creatures Great and Small

Outline

All Creatures Great and Small (1972) is a warm and funny account of life as a young country veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales of England in the 1930s. James Herriot describes caring for cows, horses, dogs, and cats, and the colourful farmers and townspeople he meets along the way. The book celebrates kindness, hard work, and the bond between people and animals, and inspired popular television series.

• The book follows a young country veterinarian working in the Yorkshire Dales of England during the 1930s.
• Herriot treats cows, horses, dogs and cats, and each animal brings its own challenge and story.
• The farmers and townspeople he meets are colourful characters who give the stories much of their humour.
• Kindness and hard work run through the book as the qualities that earn a rural community's trust.
• The bond between people and animals is the heart of the book, shown in everyday acts of care.

James Herriot (1916–1995) was the pen name of James Alfred Wight, a British veterinarian who practised in Yorkshire for most of his life. He began writing about his experiences in his fifties, and his books became international bestsellers loved for their humour and warmth. His works include All Creatures Great and Small and All Things Bright and Beautiful.