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Animal Rescue Friends #3
Animal Rescue Friends: Learning New Tricks
The Animal Rescue Friends gang is back with ten sweet tales about their furry, feathered, and flying friends!
Join Bell, Maddie, Noah, and the rest of the Animal Rescue Friends as they learn to love an affectionate rat named Whiskers, find Sergio the tortoise a forever home that’s just his speed, fall for the antics of a chatty parrot with a familiar name, and more! Along the way, they make a few new friends and learn that everyone—even insects—can sometimes use a helping hand.
Join Bell, Maddie, Noah, and the rest of the Animal Rescue Friends as they learn to love an affectionate rat named Whiskers, find Sergio the tortoise a forever home that’s just his speed, fall for the antics of a chatty parrot with a familiar name, and more! Along the way, they make a few new friends and learn that everyone—even insects—can sometimes use a helping hand.
160 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2023
5 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Cooke
23 books181 followersStephanie is a writer based out of Toronto, Canada. Some of her graphic novels include ParaNorthern, Oh My Gods, and The Racc Pack. She's additionally worked on titles such as My Little Pony, Cat Ninja, Archie Comics, and more. She’s an avid reader, gamer, movie watcher, and pun connoisseur. She can often be found curled up with her snuggly cat…that she happens to be very allergic to.
Her debut young adult graphic novel, Pillow Talk, is out now. Find out more about her at stephaniecooke.ca.
Her debut young adult graphic novel, Pillow Talk, is out now. Find out more about her at stephaniecooke.ca.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 23, 2023
I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
The newest Animal Rescue Friends and of course I had to click the request button! For some reason I apparently didn’t see book 2 when it was there, but thankfully you don’t need to read these books in order. While the stories have some continuity it isn’t that big if you miss something. I love that!
In this one we get ten sweet new tales taking place at the Animal Rescue Friends centre! Featuring the characters on the cover + more! I really enjoyed each of the stories and I loved the big variety of animals that the centre gets! From a missing rat who is really missing her buddy and also teaches one of the kids in the centre that rats aren’t scary to a collie who will be getting a special job to a bird giving order and all the hilarity that ensues to even a story about bees! Yep, there is something for everyone and I just was looking forward to each story and see what would be next in this centre. What kind of animal would we get to meet next? And how adorable will they be?
I also love that while the focus is of course on the animals it is also about friendship, about people working together (like the second story), about facing your fears (like with the first story, but also in other stories and not just the kids working at the centre), and making sure that the animals find their home or find a home. Each story is positive and each one makes me smile.
The pages just flew by and I had oodles of fun! I really need to see if I can find book 2 somewhere because I want to read that one as well! And I will be looking forward to more books in this series! Bring me the next one! I would recommend this one to all, if you love animals and fun stories this one is for you!
review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
The newest Animal Rescue Friends and of course I had to click the request button! For some reason I apparently didn’t see book 2 when it was there, but thankfully you don’t need to read these books in order. While the stories have some continuity it isn’t that big if you miss something. I love that!
In this one we get ten sweet new tales taking place at the Animal Rescue Friends centre! Featuring the characters on the cover + more! I really enjoyed each of the stories and I loved the big variety of animals that the centre gets! From a missing rat who is really missing her buddy and also teaches one of the kids in the centre that rats aren’t scary to a collie who will be getting a special job to a bird giving order and all the hilarity that ensues to even a story about bees! Yep, there is something for everyone and I just was looking forward to each story and see what would be next in this centre. What kind of animal would we get to meet next? And how adorable will they be?
I also love that while the focus is of course on the animals it is also about friendship, about people working together (like the second story), about facing your fears (like with the first story, but also in other stories and not just the kids working at the centre), and making sure that the animals find their home or find a home. Each story is positive and each one makes me smile.
The pages just flew by and I had oodles of fun! I really need to see if I can find book 2 somewhere because I want to read that one as well! And I will be looking forward to more books in this series! Bring me the next one! I would recommend this one to all, if you love animals and fun stories this one is for you!
review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
February 17, 2024
10 totally “paw-some” short stories all about the different animals (and people!) at the animal rescue centre.
I loved that all these stories featured different animals, unique situations & problems, and many diverse characters. Each story taught a little lesson of some kind- whether it was about a certain creature (ex. learning about bees) or real-life lessons about being a good leader, working together, or communicating with your fellow volunteers.
My favourite was the story about the lonely rat- I could totally relate!!! When I volunteered at the SPCA in my teens, there was a friendly rat named Oreo that would sit on our shoulder. It really did enjoy the company of others, and being around people!
This latest collection of Animal Rescue Friends stories is a total WIN for graphic novels- I can see early readers to comics/graphic novels finding this series a great introduction. It’s also a great one to recommend to fans of Babysitters Club and PAWS, and all animal lovers ❤️ Grade 2-5 📚
Happy Reading!
I loved that all these stories featured different animals, unique situations & problems, and many diverse characters. Each story taught a little lesson of some kind- whether it was about a certain creature (ex. learning about bees) or real-life lessons about being a good leader, working together, or communicating with your fellow volunteers.
My favourite was the story about the lonely rat- I could totally relate!!! When I volunteered at the SPCA in my teens, there was a friendly rat named Oreo that would sit on our shoulder. It really did enjoy the company of others, and being around people!
This latest collection of Animal Rescue Friends stories is a total WIN for graphic novels- I can see early readers to comics/graphic novels finding this series a great introduction. It’s also a great one to recommend to fans of Babysitters Club and PAWS, and all animal lovers ❤️ Grade 2-5 📚
Happy Reading!
July 13, 2024
💫 representation: diverse cast, tripod doggo :)
cute, fun, and paw-sitively amazing!! 💞
ah, Animal Rescue Friends... how i would have hyperfixated on you when i was younger. in the latest installment of our favorite nerdy animal lover series, we shift a little in format. instead of one continuous story, Animal Rescue Friends: Learning New Tricks gives us multiple short stories. and, oh my stars, i can't complain. they're basic, surface level, but they're still SO GOOD and SO CUTE!! ugh, i loved it! my animal lover heart is so happy right now.
what makes this series wonderful, and what makes me ache for more, is the focus on friendship. the kids are brought together by their love of animals, and they stay because of their bond with each other and their animal rescue organization. i could totally see myself finding my way into a friend group like that in middle school. and the cast is diverse! what's not to love? beyond that, Animal Rescue Friends reflects real stories about pet ownership and responsibility. the animal facts they give are correct, and the care advice is really solid. i wish this series got more attention because there is a great setup for kids to delve into animal + vet science here.
all of the short stories were my favorites, but i hold Rats Are Good Pets, Too; Noah and Clover; and Houdini At Home closest. and the animals... i love them all so much, but especially Clover, Daphne, and the rats. oh, and of course Houdini. he reminds me of my little troublemaker rabbit at home. shoutout to Mooni! oh my GOODNESS and can we talk about the TRIPOD DOGGO!!! my beloved <3
the Animal Rescue Friends series is a hidden gem. if you want to learn more about animals, this is a great introduction. i highly, HIGHLY recommend it to all readers but particularly to fans of PAWS, Babysitters Club, Vet Volunteers, and all animal lovers! happy reading! 💜
~ Morgan Shadow 🐺👑🏹🌊💫
cute, fun, and paw-sitively amazing!! 💞
ah, Animal Rescue Friends... how i would have hyperfixated on you when i was younger. in the latest installment of our favorite nerdy animal lover series, we shift a little in format. instead of one continuous story, Animal Rescue Friends: Learning New Tricks gives us multiple short stories. and, oh my stars, i can't complain. they're basic, surface level, but they're still SO GOOD and SO CUTE!! ugh, i loved it! my animal lover heart is so happy right now.
what makes this series wonderful, and what makes me ache for more, is the focus on friendship. the kids are brought together by their love of animals, and they stay because of their bond with each other and their animal rescue organization. i could totally see myself finding my way into a friend group like that in middle school. and the cast is diverse! what's not to love? beyond that, Animal Rescue Friends reflects real stories about pet ownership and responsibility. the animal facts they give are correct, and the care advice is really solid. i wish this series got more attention because there is a great setup for kids to delve into animal + vet science here.
all of the short stories were my favorites, but i hold Rats Are Good Pets, Too; Noah and Clover; and Houdini At Home closest. and the animals... i love them all so much, but especially Clover, Daphne, and the rats. oh, and of course Houdini. he reminds me of my little troublemaker rabbit at home. shoutout to Mooni! oh my GOODNESS and can we talk about the TRIPOD DOGGO!!! my beloved <3
the Animal Rescue Friends series is a hidden gem. if you want to learn more about animals, this is a great introduction. i highly, HIGHLY recommend it to all readers but particularly to fans of PAWS, Babysitters Club, Vet Volunteers, and all animal lovers! happy reading! 💜
~ Morgan Shadow 🐺👑🏹🌊💫
November 8, 2023
Well, I certainly didn't expect such varied content from this third book in this series – we're dumping the longer works and dramas for really short, bitty ones, probably due to some e-comic origin and the success of shorter-form pieces. We also plough through no end of different creatives on these pages, with someone new behind the script and art almost each time. Initially we have a rat for a girl to help out – her first time with said critter in this sanctuary she volunteers at. Then, while she bosses the place, a lad proves he has perfect transferable skills when a particular family comes in checking out the pets to go. We see a dog with three legs face the array of potential adopters, a sheepdog ends up caring for the ducklings with an escape habit, a third dog goes missing, a parrot provides mixed messages, someone seems too keen to see the cats, and so on.
What the shorter pieces all ultimately mean is that there is little time left for the worthy wokeness to turn up, as the fictions have to be grab-and-go. Beyond the obvious morals you can pin on these, such as making rash assumptions, stifling someone when their skills count the same as yours, and so on, we just have the drama – oh, and a lesson about bees dressed up as a drama. We gain a little variety when a rabbit features, away from the shelter, but generally still we have the welcomely worthy kids volunteering there and all that that entails. They can speak in unrealistically mature ways, they face a disproportionate amount of same-sex adult couples, but they show the variety of the pet world and the jobs that shelters have to think about on a round-the-clock basis. To that end, this serves a good purpose beyond being quickly entertaining. But I think the entertainment is enough alone to earn four stars.
What the shorter pieces all ultimately mean is that there is little time left for the worthy wokeness to turn up, as the fictions have to be grab-and-go. Beyond the obvious morals you can pin on these, such as making rash assumptions, stifling someone when their skills count the same as yours, and so on, we just have the drama – oh, and a lesson about bees dressed up as a drama. We gain a little variety when a rabbit features, away from the shelter, but generally still we have the welcomely worthy kids volunteering there and all that that entails. They can speak in unrealistically mature ways, they face a disproportionate amount of same-sex adult couples, but they show the variety of the pet world and the jobs that shelters have to think about on a round-the-clock basis. To that end, this serves a good purpose beyond being quickly entertaining. But I think the entertainment is enough alone to earn four stars.
August 4, 2023
Copy provided by Edelweiss Plus
Our friends from Animal Rescue Friends are back with eight very short stories centered around the organization and its work. While I don't remember the other books having such short stories, this works, and REALLY reminds me of comic books like Richie Rich and Little Lulu. The Epic! series appeals to emerging readers, with large font, clear graphics, and engaging stories.
There are also a lot of good life lessons in these vignettes. In "Rats are Good Pets, Too", Bell overcomes her aversion to the animals when she has to take care of them. "A Hard Shell to Crack" has Mikey and Bell competing to do the chores assigned and learning to get along and split the work. "Daphne and the Ducklings" finds a border collie visiting the farm for the day being bored until she rounds up some problematic chicks. "Lost and Found Hound" features Major Sprinkles running off to a fruit farm and finding some adventure. "Chatty Bird" mimics one of the supervisors, Fred, and tells the volunteers to do rather silly chores. "Amara, Opie, and Alma" features some misunderstandings but also a lot of cool art, as well as some rambunctious cats. "Bees" offers a lot of really good information after a hive needs to be relocated, and "Houdini at Home" is a good lesson in the amount of care that a rabbit needs in a home. The final story, "Drake and Houdini" has a good lesson about a boy who wants a dog who is a hero and thinks that a bigger dog is the one he wants, while a little, floofy dog saves the day and changes his mind about appearances.
Readers who enjoy animal shelter stories will find this particularly engaging, and the short stories will be easier to finish for even the shortest attention spans.
Our friends from Animal Rescue Friends are back with eight very short stories centered around the organization and its work. While I don't remember the other books having such short stories, this works, and REALLY reminds me of comic books like Richie Rich and Little Lulu. The Epic! series appeals to emerging readers, with large font, clear graphics, and engaging stories.
There are also a lot of good life lessons in these vignettes. In "Rats are Good Pets, Too", Bell overcomes her aversion to the animals when she has to take care of them. "A Hard Shell to Crack" has Mikey and Bell competing to do the chores assigned and learning to get along and split the work. "Daphne and the Ducklings" finds a border collie visiting the farm for the day being bored until she rounds up some problematic chicks. "Lost and Found Hound" features Major Sprinkles running off to a fruit farm and finding some adventure. "Chatty Bird" mimics one of the supervisors, Fred, and tells the volunteers to do rather silly chores. "Amara, Opie, and Alma" features some misunderstandings but also a lot of cool art, as well as some rambunctious cats. "Bees" offers a lot of really good information after a hive needs to be relocated, and "Houdini at Home" is a good lesson in the amount of care that a rabbit needs in a home. The final story, "Drake and Houdini" has a good lesson about a boy who wants a dog who is a hero and thinks that a bigger dog is the one he wants, while a little, floofy dog saves the day and changes his mind about appearances.
Readers who enjoy animal shelter stories will find this particularly engaging, and the short stories will be easier to finish for even the shortest attention spans.
November 11, 2023
In the next instalment of "Animal Rescue Friends" the team learn to count on one another's strengths to help both the animals and each other. As with the previous book, this is a graphic novel/comic style, with ten short stories, each featuring different children and animals. Each of the stories focuses on a different animal, what makes them special, and how to care for them. From the tripod Clover to the mischevious cockatoo Fred, from from beehives to apartment-proofing rabbits, this book gives a good introduction to animal care for children. Many of the stories also have an underlying theme of acceptance, and reserving judgement that can be applied to people as well as the animals in the book.
My kids really enjoyed this one. Aimed at kids 6 or 7+
~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~
My kids really enjoyed this one. Aimed at kids 6 or 7+
~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~
July 28, 2023
The illustrations are beautiful, colorful, and eye-catching, making it a pleasure to read. Each chapter contains not only a great story but a teachable moment, as well. The ARF crew makes this a fun and interesting book. It contains characters from diverse backgrounds and even another language. I found myself smiling from the first page to the last. Anyone who loves animals will find great pleasure in reading this book. I am looking forward to seeing what the ARF crew will be up to next. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to review this ARC.
November 11, 2023
Me and my children enjoyed this story with all the characters within. It about an animal rescue place and what is happening there. You meet the young people that help out at the rescue place and also that animals that have been rescued.
This was a fun story to read it had little stories throughout. All the short stories had action. Plus they had a few giggles within. The illustrations want well with the story and were colorful.
I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.
This was a fun story to read it had little stories throughout. All the short stories had action. Plus they had a few giggles within. The illustrations want well with the story and were colorful.
I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.
August 2, 2023
This book was so adorable!!! It's perfect for children to learn appreciation and the importance of pet care. There are individual stories combined with beautiful illustration that are guaranteed to keep children fully engaged. I highly recommend!!!!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
November 7, 2023
I really love these stories! The characters are great role models and there are facts about animals sprinkled in. I was so impressed as I was reading, each kid was kind and helpful throughout the story. It centers around volunteering at an animal shelter and due to that we also get to know the animals. I like stories where I would be happy that my kid was emulating their behaviors and how they treat others. This book is that!
October 9, 2023
This graphic novel is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE! If your child has read the other Animal Rescue Friends, they will love this one too! It is so, so beautiful, the artwork is just perfect and the story is great, and this is the cutest way to teach kids all about kindness, friendship, responsibility, and taking care of those who need help.
November 7, 2023
This was such a cute read! As an animal rescue volunteer I think this book is a great kid-level intro into the the importance and fun of volunteering at a rescue. The illustrations are amazing and the stories are cute and engaging. I would recommend this book to any middle schoolers who love animals.
January 12, 2024
This was such a cute read! As an animal rescue volunteer I think this book is a great kid-level intro into the the importance and fun of volunteering at a rescue. The illustrations are amazing and the stories are cute and engaging. I would recommend this book to any middle schoolers who love animals.
August 4, 2023
A clever book if Babysitters Club's Little Sister Karen met animals that needed to be adopted without the hoopla and shenanigans. Recommend reading at least volume one first to be introduced to the characters and the why they are working that the animal rescue.
September 16, 2023
As a fan of this series my daughter was excited to read this book. It is a graphic novel told in short stories. The animals are adorable and the book is perfect for ages 8-12. The favorite story was with the cats and how they can knock things over. It was really cute and completely relatable.
July 17, 2024
I really didn't like this graphic novel. This is a series of short stories, all written by different authors with different characters (though they're all involved in Animal Rescue Friends). The stories were short and basic and just not interesting.
August 9, 2023
I like that this book features unconventional pets like ducks or tripods. My favorite story is Daphne and the Ducklings. Thank you Andrew McNeel Publishing and NetGalley.
December 8, 2023
This book positively portrays every animal as a pet, even rats, but it's negative about cats. The duck chapter was funny and the bees chapter was interesting. Book 1 was better.
January 15, 2024
We just loved the end! These are wonderful books!!
January 29, 2024
This book was broken up into short stories instead of a chapter book like the other two. It was alright, it did provide some diverse families and I loved the little informative section on bees!
February 19, 2024
Miss 9 enjoyed reading this.
February 21, 2024
Loved Loved Loved!!!!
Amazing illustrations, loveable characters, great themes & topics, and just easy, fun reading.
Amazing illustrations, loveable characters, great themes & topics, and just easy, fun reading.
March 27, 2024
3.5 stars.
November 15, 2023
Thank you NetGalley, for providing me with this arc, in exchange for my honest review.
If your kid loves animals, they’re going to love this book!!
I read this in one go because it was just so good! But you can easily read 1 story at a time, as this book holds ten seperate stories.
The cover and all the illustrations are so cute, colorful and fun!
This is a graphic novel, so perfect for kids who like to read them or to change things up. I love to read graphic novels in between regular books.
While all the stories are cute, fun and heartwarming, they’re also educational. They teach you a lot about many different animals and their abilities and even disabilities. There’s so much to takeaway from these stories. Like Bell learning a lot about several animals that made her uncomfortable or affraid. By getting used to them and/or learning (more) about them, she stopped being scared and even started loving them. She also learned that it’s okay and sometimes even better, to be less controling and accepting help. Several characters experienced that pets can bring out the best in people and that humans and pets aren’t always how you think they are at first sight.
There are so many clever and hilarious moments and all the stories have happy endings.
The adoption charts of all the animals, were such a great way to end this amazing graphic novel for all animal loving kids!
If your kid loves animals, they’re going to love this book!!
I read this in one go because it was just so good! But you can easily read 1 story at a time, as this book holds ten seperate stories.
The cover and all the illustrations are so cute, colorful and fun!
This is a graphic novel, so perfect for kids who like to read them or to change things up. I love to read graphic novels in between regular books.
While all the stories are cute, fun and heartwarming, they’re also educational. They teach you a lot about many different animals and their abilities and even disabilities. There’s so much to takeaway from these stories. Like Bell learning a lot about several animals that made her uncomfortable or affraid. By getting used to them and/or learning (more) about them, she stopped being scared and even started loving them. She also learned that it’s okay and sometimes even better, to be less controling and accepting help. Several characters experienced that pets can bring out the best in people and that humans and pets aren’t always how you think they are at first sight.
There are so many clever and hilarious moments and all the stories have happy endings.
The adoption charts of all the animals, were such a great way to end this amazing graphic novel for all animal loving kids!
June 27, 2025
It's another cute volume of cute kids helping cute animals! Although... I don't know. This volume is ten short stories, and while that's cool, it also feels very "surface level", story-wise. I guess I was hoping for a story or two with more substance than TEN *very* short stories.
It's fine, I just don't know if I'd be interested in too many more of the same, even though I read several other series that are structured EXACTLY like this (manga in particular). It's sort of like if a court case show were about one case per episode, then suddenly it had several small, even trivial cases in one episode. (I don't actually watch court shows other than if Ace Attorney ever gets new seasons, that's just the example that came to mind.)
The one "negative" otherwise is the table of contents, featuring animals from each story, is sort of a spoiler for the same. :/
On the plus side, it's easy to pick up for newcomers! Definitely recommended for young readers who love animals! I also appreciate that, even with my weak Duolingo skills, I could generally understand the Spanish parts without reading ahead! :) and TRIPOD DOGGO, OH MY GOODNESS!!
It's fine, I just don't know if I'd be interested in too many more of the same, even though I read several other series that are structured EXACTLY like this (manga in particular). It's sort of like if a court case show were about one case per episode, then suddenly it had several small, even trivial cases in one episode. (I don't actually watch court shows other than if Ace Attorney ever gets new seasons, that's just the example that came to mind.)
The one "negative" otherwise is the table of contents, featuring animals from each story, is sort of a spoiler for the same. :/
On the plus side, it's easy to pick up for newcomers! Definitely recommended for young readers who love animals! I also appreciate that, even with my weak Duolingo skills, I could generally understand the Spanish parts without reading ahead! :) and TRIPOD DOGGO, OH MY GOODNESS!!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews