I chose to listen to this audiobook despite not actually having seen/ read a lot of All Creatures Great and Small because I was interested in its depiction of Yorkshire, so I expected that I would likely feel a little lost in the narrative due to my lack of knowledge about the show. While I of course didn’t get all of the references made and some parts that went into a lot of detail on the new series weren’t the most relevant to me, my lack of knowledge of the show didn’t pose a big problem at all: The narration was so lovely and warm that I was immediately able to immerse myself in it nonetheless. The book gives a lot of background information on the real James Herriot’s life and how the stories came to be, which I enjoyed listening to despite not being overly familiar with them. Since I also have a strong connection with the place, the descriptions of Yorkshire were by far my favourite part though: the county, it’s people and the sense of home they signify come across so vividly and were really lovely to listen to. This was such a nice and wholesome read and definitely made me want to deep-dive into All Creatures Great and Small!

One of the best and coziest TV series ever created, I went into this rather biased, but it was still great! It provides some of the true stories related to the Herriot family and the Yorkshire Dales. Huge thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to enjoy this audiobook!

This book is a wonderful complement to the James Herriot stories. It's a great way to learn more about the rich history and culture of the Yorkshire Dales, which you will undoubtably want to visit after reading this book!

I have yet to watch the newer series but watched the original. This is a wonderful companion and has me itching to not only watch the new series but go and read more of Herriot’s work!

If you haven’t watched the series or read Herriot you may feel a bit lost on names but you’ll absolutely benefit from the country setting and compassionate characters being laid out.

Such an encouraging reminder to revisit a classic.

I have read the original books by James Herriot over and over. They leave me with a good feeling. Perhaps it is humor, maybe it is the animals, or it could be the simpler time. James Alfred “Alf” Wight, aka James Herriot, was born in 1916. Although he was exempt from service he served as a pilot in WWII. In 1968, 50-year-old Wight began to write. His first book “If Only They Cold Talk” was published in 1970. His books offer readers stories concerning animals. One of my favorite stories concerns Strawberry Cows. I have never heard of Strawberry Cows and still would like to see a picture of one.
I was so excited to listen to Celebrating All Creatures Great & Small. The daughter of James Herriot wrote the foreword for this book. She offers insight into her father. This book is more about the PBS series than a repeat of the original stories. PBS has a show featuring the delightful stories of James Herriot and his adventures as a veterinarian. The main character is played by Nicholas Ralph. The stories have been adapted for the new series, but they still offer the viewer the warmth of the series from the past. The viewer travels to Darrowby, a fictional village where they meet the cast playing the characters from the original books. This book shares information about how the series is made and bits and pieces concerning the actors. It introduces listeners to the setting, the landscape and of course the animals. The listeners visit Skeldale House, the home of the Wights. There are several narrators for this book, and they are all very talented. Deborah Balm and Nathaniel Priestley do an exceptional job.
The book is a beautiful hardback. In it we learn more about the author, his life, his writing. The book has hundreds of delightful photographs.

The background information provided by the family was so interesting. If you love the show and all its animals, this is a must read. It is almost like you are part of the behind the scenes magic of this great series.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the digital copy of this audiobook.
I had the good fortune to visit Thirsk and the James Herriot museum last year.
We also had a tour guide drive us around the Dales, so beautiful.
It was awesome to have the book give details that I could visualize from memory.

What a lovely listen. If you are a fan of the show, or maybe just the books, this is packed with tidbits of information of not only the show storyline, behind the scenes and comparisons to the actual people the books and show are based on, but also historical facts and trivia to really give a full picture of the time period and setting.
What's missing? I definately need to get a hard copy to look at the beautiful photos.
But this listen had great narration and I will be listening again.

This was such a wonderful book, so much information packed into a short time without being overwhelming. I haven’t actually seen the series but I've been convinced to watch both the original BBC series and get to up to date with the current adaptation. It was really interesting to get insight into why the new series doesn’t follow the books exactly and instead has a more well rounded approach to all the characters, particularly the female characters. I also really enjoyed the introduction by Rosie (James Herriot/Alf White daughter) and the following chapter focusing more on his life and how he ended up in Yorkshire. A wonderful read for fans young and old!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the digital copy of this audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Just in time for another series of the hit PBS show, All Creatures Great and Small, comes this book/audiobook celebrating the past and current series. It’s lovely, just lovely, as it walks through the show’s four seasons in comparison to the James Herriot books they are based upon.

I’ve mentioned here on my blog previously how much I loved the books growing up. I think I was about 13 years old when I first read the original book. I distinctly remember re-reading the first book when pregnant with my firstborn and laughing so hard, reading sections to my husband because he was wondering what was causing that reaction. The current show is also a comfort series for me, always premiering around my birthday, I’d like to think of as a special present just for me. 🙂

This audiobook features several narrators, and they all do an admirable job with the text, providing the history of the books, they layout of the Yorkshire Dales, how the previous show from the 1970s and 1980s was done versus the current show, how the current show is shot, really, anything you’d want to know about this stellar production is included in this book!

I am going to get the physical book because of the pictures, as I love having television companion books in my personal collection. If you’re a fan of the All Creatures Great and Small television show, I’d highly recommend checking this book out!

I have not read previous books or watched the television production. This is really only for super fans of the series. As a non-reader, I didn’t understand or care for the topic.

This was a sweet treat! I'm a recent fan of the newest TV adaptation because of the cozy, wholesome vibes and the lovely, humorous relationships among the characters. This book captures all the same feelings. It is a delightful mix of show trivia, history of the show, how the characters compare to books and earlier TV show versions, history of the region, and so much more. It is the right length to keep your focus and has a nice flow through all the information. I enjoyed it!

I'm a huge fan of the James Herriot books, the original All Creatures Great and Small TV series, and now the latest TV series.

This was a delight, giving some of the history of the area and the real James Herriot, plus details on the cast of the current series, how they were chosen, how their characters developed etc. We got insights into how the series was filmed, how the two TV series differ from each other, and all manner of interesting facts for fans like myself.

I listened to this, and there were many narrators and they all helped to bring this companion book to life.

Ideal for fans of either of the shows, I was delighted to be able to listen to this.

All Creatures Great and Small is a delightful book, the perfect read/listen for both fans of the original series, and the current iteration on Channel 5.

The wonderful accented narration of Deborah Balm and Nathaniel Priestley gave the audiobook a wonderful sense of place. The foreword, provided by Rosie Page was a lovely touch too. Rosie is the daughter of Alf and Joan White, Alf being the alter ego of James Herriot himself.

The book gives a vibrant history of the characters, and the cast who bring the much loved characters to life, in this recent incarnation. Much of the social history of the time is discussed, giving context to the programme. Rationing and the ‘make do and mend’ advice quite literally shaped lives in that time, ‘saucepans for spitfires’ was certainly something I knew nothing of.

The talk of Betty’s ‘fat rascals’ made my mouth water, Betty’s is as much of a treat now, as it was then. It was lovely to hear Hannah Hauxwell mentioned in the book. Hannah embodies that generation and locality, when people were stoic and hardy, and just got on with life.

This book feels like the perfect antidote to modern life, just like the series itself. It transports you to a kinder time, when people seemed much happier, with far less. I found myself smiling frequently while listening. It is a soothing, relaxing 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read/listen.

I was so excited when I got the ARC for Celebrating All Creatures Great and Small. I positively adore the show! We will be viewing the next season next week in the US, and I can't wait. This book is a love letter, as well as a companion to the TV series. I plan on gifting two of these books to a couple of my dear friends who share my love for the series.