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Animal Kind: Lessons on Love, Fear and Friendship from the Animals in our Lives
For hundreds of years, humans and animals have had special bonds with each other. We’ve lived side-by-side through thick and thin―these relationships are not just about raising pets and farm animals. Our animal companions offer inspiration, friendship, health, and real-life opportunities for recovery that we can’t achieve alone.
True stories of animal therapy: In Animal Kind, Emma Lock of YouTube fame shares stories of the incredible ways that animals keep us healthy and happy, physically and mentally. You’ll be inspired by the tales of remarkable recovery, from vision-impaired individuals who have gained independence with the help of seeing-eye dogs, to the woman who found new life as an equestrian champion after an arm amputation.
Friendship in surprising places: The stories in Animal Kind feature an array of relationships that may surprise you. Even wild animals like snakes and racoons have been known to offer life-changing companionship. With each story, you’ll learn fun facts about the featured species and hear from the people who love them. You’ll also hear the never-before-told story of how animals changed Emma’s life for good.
In Animal Kind, the YouTube star Emma Lock shares true stories of animal friendship that show us:
The healing power of connection with other species
The truths that animal lovers know about life
How pets and wild animals alike can make us better people
Animal Kind: Lessons on Love, Fear, and Friendship from Wild Animals offers true stories that prove that sometimes the best friends in life have fur, feathers, or even scales. Readers who enjoyed Devoted, How to Be a Good Creature, and A Street Cat Named Bob will love the heartwarming food for the soul in this book.
True stories of animal therapy: In Animal Kind, Emma Lock of YouTube fame shares stories of the incredible ways that animals keep us healthy and happy, physically and mentally. You’ll be inspired by the tales of remarkable recovery, from vision-impaired individuals who have gained independence with the help of seeing-eye dogs, to the woman who found new life as an equestrian champion after an arm amputation.
Friendship in surprising places: The stories in Animal Kind feature an array of relationships that may surprise you. Even wild animals like snakes and racoons have been known to offer life-changing companionship. With each story, you’ll learn fun facts about the featured species and hear from the people who love them. You’ll also hear the never-before-told story of how animals changed Emma’s life for good.
In Animal Kind, the YouTube star Emma Lock shares true stories of animal friendship that show us:
The healing power of connection with other species
The truths that animal lovers know about life
How pets and wild animals alike can make us better people
Animal Kind: Lessons on Love, Fear, and Friendship from Wild Animals offers true stories that prove that sometimes the best friends in life have fur, feathers, or even scales. Readers who enjoyed Devoted, How to Be a Good Creature, and A Street Cat Named Bob will love the heartwarming food for the soul in this book.
- GenresNonfictionAnimals
170 pages, Paperback
Published March 17, 2020
9 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 14, 2025
This little book contains several true short stories about how animals - of all ages and species - change the lives of their humans.
Zak - ★★★★★
Her dad becomes a different person - withdrawn and sad - until he is gifted a little Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy. Heather never before realized how much dogs can lift one's spirits and how much she would come to rely on that ability in the coming months and years.
This one was so bittersweet and heartwarming - a great start to this collection of short stories. I typically don't find myself drawn to short stories but the characters were so well-defined and the plot was short but excellently executed.
Buddy - ★★★★★
Again - I was really impressed by this story. It had a lot of drama packed into just a few short stories but it was so well-written that it didn't even feel like a short story. I loved learning about how Buddy the bird unwittingly lent Shereena strength in a time where she needed it most.
Bubbles - ★★★★★
Immediately, Ragnar realizes that Bubbles isn't your typical placid little shelled fella - she has a sparkle within her. And Ragnar knows just the way to draw it out.
Bear - ★★★★½
I have been watching Em's videos from the beginning and have enjoyed seeing her channel grow and expand over the years. And while she's hinted that her life was not always as rosey as she portrayed it, I never realized exactly what she was dealing with behind the screen. It was humbling to read her personal story.
The previous three stories (Zak, Buddy & Bubbles) were more limited in what the portrayed and that really worked well in the short story format. However, Em's story had a lot more to it - both in terms of content, animals and emotions. She's already proven to be an excellent writer in the previous three short stories. I think this one needed more pages for development to tip this to five stars and really do her story justice.
Magic - ★★★★
This one was interesting and the imagery really stood out to me. This one was the shortest of the bunch. I would have loved to see this one twice as long - particularly I would have enjoyed to have a bit more of the story focused on how this team came to be.
Overall
This was an extremely heartwarming and memorable series of animal-themed short stories.
The writing was compelling and empathetic - drew me right in and kept me hooked from cover to cover
I really love the pictures of the real animals involved in the stories - it was so fun to see them (especially Bubbles!).
I really wish this one was longer - I would have loved to see more animal stories in it though as it stands, this is a really well-written animal book.
Highly recommended for the animal lover in your life.
with thanks to Mango Publishing and Emma Lock for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
Zak - ★★★★★
Deep from within the many cozy layers of blankets hugging the bed came a startled, almost cough-like "woof."Heather was a little girl when her father became sick and had to move out of the house to live with Grandma to be taken care of.
Her dad becomes a different person - withdrawn and sad - until he is gifted a little Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy. Heather never before realized how much dogs can lift one's spirits and how much she would come to rely on that ability in the coming months and years.
This one was so bittersweet and heartwarming - a great start to this collection of short stories. I typically don't find myself drawn to short stories but the characters were so well-defined and the plot was short but excellently executed.
Buddy - ★★★★★
Although Shereena loved animals, she hadn't been seeking a feathery companion...Shereena lives with her boyfriend-kinda-fiance and their daughter. Things have been tense lately - their schedules barely overlap, she's exhausted, overwhelmed and to top it all, her mother just bought their family unit a pineapple green cheek conure named Buddy (who absolutely HATES the boyfriend). And then, on a whim, Shereena unlocks her boyfriend's phone...and everything she thought she knew comes crashing down.
Again - I was really impressed by this story. It had a lot of drama packed into just a few short stories but it was so well-written that it didn't even feel like a short story. I loved learning about how Buddy the bird unwittingly lent Shereena strength in a time where she needed it most.
Bubbles - ★★★★★
If her beak hadn't been so overgrown, she would have landed a hefty bite , but, instead, the most she could muster was a vicious head-butt.Ragnar with his waist-length strawberry blond hair and long beard braided is someone you'd expect to be more at home on a viking ship rather than a wildlife rehabber but he's always had a soft spot for animals. Bubbles, a red-foot tortoise, is among several others rescued on the side of the road.
Immediately, Ragnar realizes that Bubbles isn't your typical placid little shelled fella - she has a sparkle within her. And Ragnar knows just the way to draw it out.
...Bubbles was racing towards him, a little crown of dirt balancing on her head....As a fellow turtle-owner, I really enjoyed this one. Bubbles has such a personality to her - and I saw so many parallels to my girl (Agatha)'s rough start and Bubbles. I am currently trying to copy Ragnar...but considering my turtle doesn't recognize (or refuses to recognize) food unless I'm physically holding it for her...no dice so far!
Bear - ★★★★½
On the many nights that I jolted awake from this nightmare, I would peel Bear from his favorite hammock, hold him in my arms...Emma "Em" Lock contributes her own story - recounting a very difficult time in her life and how Bear, her albino ferret, comforted her in some of her darkest moments. We learn a little about the life behind her YouTube career and how Kiba, Em's black eurasier, brought about a positivity to her life in a way she never could have anticipated.
I have been watching Em's videos from the beginning and have enjoyed seeing her channel grow and expand over the years. And while she's hinted that her life was not always as rosey as she portrayed it, I never realized exactly what she was dealing with behind the screen. It was humbling to read her personal story.
The previous three stories (Zak, Buddy & Bubbles) were more limited in what the portrayed and that really worked well in the short story format. However, Em's story had a lot more to it - both in terms of content, animals and emotions. She's already proven to be an excellent writer in the previous three short stories. I think this one needed more pages for development to tip this to five stars and really do her story justice.
Magic - ★★★★
Magic corrected himself in an instant, but still continued to grumble and snort quietly, blowing through his nostrils.Kimberly and Magic, her black Friesian, are an unusual team. The years they spent together allowed Kimberly to develop a unique skill - horseback archery - and we spend an evening with the two of them as they go on an adventure.
This one was interesting and the imagery really stood out to me. This one was the shortest of the bunch. I would have loved to see this one twice as long - particularly I would have enjoyed to have a bit more of the story focused on how this team came to be.
Overall
This was an extremely heartwarming and memorable series of animal-themed short stories.
The writing was compelling and empathetic - drew me right in and kept me hooked from cover to cover
I really love the pictures of the real animals involved in the stories - it was so fun to see them (especially Bubbles!).
I really wish this one was longer - I would have loved to see more animal stories in it though as it stands, this is a really well-written animal book.
Highly recommended for the animal lover in your life.
with thanks to Mango Publishing and Emma Lock for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
May 25, 2020
3.5 stars.
It's always hard to review books whose author you "know." I'm not friends with Em and we've had very little contact, but I enjoy her content and hold a great deal of respect for what she does. Due to this respect, I'm going to try to ignore who wrote the book and focus just on the work itself because a) it's more fair and b) I don't think she'd appreciate people rating it based on her personality, work, or popularity instead of writing skills.
As expected, the stories are wonderful and I even found myself getting quite emotional once or twice, thinking of how animals have shaped and improved my own life. I don't think I'd be the person I am today without the lessons they've taught me about, well, love, fear, and friendship. (And loss, which is also explored a bit in this book!)
However, I feel like it could've done with more editing. The sentences were a bit awkward sometimes (they didn't flow as smoothly as I'd like) and there were little mistakes missed, like having the word 'councillor' (member of a council, especially in politics) in place of 'counsellor' (a person trained to give advice, especially re: mental health). This doesn't take away from the stories, though, which are absolutely beautiful and very meaningful.
I did have an issue with the negative tone surrounding antidepressants and how taking them would be "a sort of unnecessary self-zombifying." Obviously it's fine to have personal preferences, practice self-advocacy in doctors' offices, and/or try "natural" routes first, but I never appreciate demonizing, stigmatizing, or creating fear around medications that are life-saving to many. Of course I don't think this was her intent at all, and at the end Em does flip this around and say medication should "never be a source of embarrassment or shunned when necessary." Does that mean taking antidepressants when your doctor recommends it for a diagnosed mental illness isn't "unnecessary self-zombifying?" I don't know.
Animal Kind was a very short but appreciated read. I loved the facts in between each story (which really goes to show Em's passion for spreading animal knowledge!) and the stories themselves, even the heartbreaking parts. Thank you to Em and everybody else who participated and who allowed their very personal stories to become public— I hope you're surrounded by the love of Animal Kind forever.
It's always hard to review books whose author you "know." I'm not friends with Em and we've had very little contact, but I enjoy her content and hold a great deal of respect for what she does. Due to this respect, I'm going to try to ignore who wrote the book and focus just on the work itself because a) it's more fair and b) I don't think she'd appreciate people rating it based on her personality, work, or popularity instead of writing skills.
As expected, the stories are wonderful and I even found myself getting quite emotional once or twice, thinking of how animals have shaped and improved my own life. I don't think I'd be the person I am today without the lessons they've taught me about, well, love, fear, and friendship. (And loss, which is also explored a bit in this book!)
However, I feel like it could've done with more editing. The sentences were a bit awkward sometimes (they didn't flow as smoothly as I'd like) and there were little mistakes missed, like having the word 'councillor' (member of a council, especially in politics) in place of 'counsellor' (a person trained to give advice, especially re: mental health). This doesn't take away from the stories, though, which are absolutely beautiful and very meaningful.
I did have an issue with the negative tone surrounding antidepressants and how taking them would be "a sort of unnecessary self-zombifying." Obviously it's fine to have personal preferences, practice self-advocacy in doctors' offices, and/or try "natural" routes first, but I never appreciate demonizing, stigmatizing, or creating fear around medications that are life-saving to many. Of course I don't think this was her intent at all, and at the end Em does flip this around and say medication should "never be a source of embarrassment or shunned when necessary." Does that mean taking antidepressants when your doctor recommends it for a diagnosed mental illness isn't "unnecessary self-zombifying?" I don't know.
Animal Kind was a very short but appreciated read. I loved the facts in between each story (which really goes to show Em's passion for spreading animal knowledge!) and the stories themselves, even the heartbreaking parts. Thank you to Em and everybody else who participated and who allowed their very personal stories to become public— I hope you're surrounded by the love of Animal Kind forever.
December 21, 2023
I wanted the chapter on Bubbles the Tortoise to last forever. ❤️ I appreciated hearing these touching stories of real rescue from real animals and brave people.
August 27, 2022
Been watching Em's YouTube channel since...I think shortly before she got Kiba. So I was looking forward to reading this book, and I'm so glad I did. 😍 I love that each of these people were impacted by their animals in such a positive way.
I cried at the end of the first story, "Zak." 😢 It was so beautiful. I couldn't relate to the second story, "Buddy," but I'm sure quite a few of you out there can.
I most say something about the way "Bubbles" was written made it feel more fiction than the other four stories. Don't get me wrong, I believe that Ragnar trained the tortoises; it's just something in the way it was written.
Kinda disappointed their wasn't a photo of Magic and Kimberly.
Anyway, overall great book. Would recommend.
I cried at the end of the first story, "Zak." 😢 It was so beautiful. I couldn't relate to the second story, "Buddy," but I'm sure quite a few of you out there can.
I most say something about the way "Bubbles" was written made it feel more fiction than the other four stories. Don't get me wrong, I believe that Ragnar trained the tortoises; it's just something in the way it was written.
Kinda disappointed their wasn't a photo of Magic and Kimberly.
Anyway, overall great book. Would recommend.
May 12, 2020
This book is therapy. I smiled, laughed, and cried. I didn't know Emzotic before listening to the podcast "Animals at Home" of which she was a guest on. I instantly fell in love with everything about her so I needed this book (audiobook version). I don't know what I expected from this book other than more of the outstanding impression she made on during the episode of the podcast and through her YouTube channel... But I got so much more than I bargained for. ❤️
December 30, 2020
This was an interesting read! I was searching for a book on dogs emotions and if they can feel our love and what they’re thinking etc. and this one was recommended to me so I gave it a listen and it was actually 5 short stories about different times when animals have been there for people and it was super sweet!! There were some really sad stories (spoiler) but it was sweet seeing how the animals were there for them.
February 27, 2021
3.5 stars
I have been wating to read this book since I found out about it. I have been supscribed to Emzotic's Youtube chanel for years now and I love her chanel. To read about the impact animals can have on people is amazing for me, as a person with a degree in animal care and have a deam to work with animals for the rest of my life.
I have been wating to read this book since I found out about it. I have been supscribed to Emzotic's Youtube chanel for years now and I love her chanel. To read about the impact animals can have on people is amazing for me, as a person with a degree in animal care and have a deam to work with animals for the rest of my life.
April 2, 2021
I really loved this book. The stories were moving, the facts were interesting, and the variety of animals was nice. The descriptions were so stunning and creative. I listened on audiobook and really enjoyed the voice of the narrator too. I felt like I learned a lot. These stories were emotional and meaningful.
February 20, 2023
This was a great book for animal lovers. Five true stories on how an animal has changed the life of it's human. After each was a photo of the animal and it's human as well as some facts about that particular animal.
My one complaint is the last story about a horse named Magic did not include their picture.
My one complaint is the last story about a horse named Magic did not include their picture.
March 11, 2023
A beautiful collection of stories regarding people with their close companions. With animals ranging from dogs to ferrets to turtles, this book sheds light on the ways our pets are close to our hearts. The stories feel real, as I understand they are true accounts from real people, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
June 29, 2020
This book had a slow start but ended up having a handful of great stories about animal owners and their pets. The writing style was fluid and easy to read.
My only criticism is that the last story felt a bit out of place and short. Besides from that, I really enjoyed this light read on animals!
My only criticism is that the last story felt a bit out of place and short. Besides from that, I really enjoyed this light read on animals!
July 4, 2020
Excellent book, especially for a first book ever. Such touching stories.
Very moving stories without a lot of sadness, hardly any actually. I will read again.
Beautiful book for animal lovers.
Very moving stories without a lot of sadness, hardly any actually. I will read again.
Beautiful book for animal lovers.
September 24, 2022
This book was so good I loved the little stories and the impact that animals make on us I always say animals are our medicine and I’m a huge fan of em her content is so educational and her personality is amazing definitely recommend to animal lovers !!!
March 22, 2020
This book was absolutely amazing - for anyone that needs to know: TRIGGER WARNING suicide and self harm.
May 6, 2020
A very heartfelt, and honest book. Truly describing how animals aren't just companions, but friends and family members to us too.
May 11, 2020
Literally finished the book in less than a day. So beautifully written, the stories teach us about the life-long bonds made with our animals. Such a wholesome book!
June 12, 2020
So good!
October 12, 2020
Sad, beautiful and heartwarming. Emma's story especially made me tear up, animals are such amazing companions!
December 14, 2020
My only complaint is I wish there were more.
April 28, 2021
4.5
It was an emotional read but really fun to. I could relate to the stories a lot. Quote “ thank you for finding your way into our lives and leaving your footprints on our hearts” 💜
It was an emotional read but really fun to. I could relate to the stories a lot. Quote “ thank you for finding your way into our lives and leaving your footprints on our hearts” 💜
September 23, 2021
When she's not writing books, Emma Locke is the host of "Emzotic" on YouTube and @emzoticofficial on Instagram. My 13 year old is a loyal fan, and they begged me to get the book. I'm glad we did! Emma Locke is warm, beautifully honest about her own struggles, and completely engaging as she tells stories of animals who have changed people's lives. This book is a delight for anyone who is drawn to the special bond between people and animals.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews