Customer Reviews

Rabbits: Gentle Hearts Valiant Spirits: Inspirational Stories of Rescue, Triumph, and Joy

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For three days after receiving a copy of this book as a gift, I carried it with me, alternating between reading it myself and sharing it with others. I still can't keep my hands off of it! I live with rabbits as indoor companion animals, and have great difficulty explaining the magic and overwhelming joy they bring to my life. This absolutely gorgeous (both in format, content, and illustration) book has no difficulty delivering that message!

This is a book that will bring strength, inspiration, and hope to readers who are animal advocates, and create animal advocates--at least for the rabbits--out of those who curently are not. Rabbits are social, intelligent, yet fragile beings who do not enjoy the legislative protections of other companion animals, and they suffer horribly in laboratories, meat plants, on fur farms, and in backyard hutches. In its successful attempt to help others come to know the beauty and potential of these wonderful spirits, this book makes a giant step toward helping to change all that.

The stories will make you weep with sadness, pound your first on the table with anger, and hurrah with joy, yet this book has an even greater purpose--and that is to educate. The book is loaded with information on the care and behavior of rabbits, and that information is the best out there.

This book belongs in the hands of anyone who needs a lift, whether from the depths of the terrible burnout that animal rescuers often suffer or for those who've lost their faith in the goodness of humans who care. Conversely, it also belongs in the hands of everyone who has ever caused injury or death to these amazing animals by buying products created through their exploitation so they will come to understand the harm they cause--and STOP!

My heartfelt gratitude to the authors for knowing that these stories deserved telling, and to the illustrators and photographers who helped to make the stories come alive.

Finally, if after reading this book you find yourself head-over-heels in love with bunnies, PLEASE adopt; don't buy!

Marie Mead is the quintessence of the Twenty-First Century humanitarian - dedicated and compassionate caregiver to various rabbits and cats in her own home, as well as a clear voice in a world still struggling with the erroneous concepts of animals as commodities, pets, possessions, and school projects. Marie knows first-hand that animals are none of these. They are sentient beings in their own right, intelligent in some ways far beyond human capabilities. She conveys this with clarity and consistency in Rabbits: Gentle Hearts, Valiant Spirits, written in conjunction with Nancy LaRoche.
This is one of the most beautiful volumes I have ever held in my hands, a book that is, in all ways, a work of art. Its larger size makes it comfortable to hold open, especially to study the many stunning full-color photographs and soft pencil drawings and watercolors that hold the eye for a long time. This is a book written and presented with skill, integrity, professionalism, and obvious joy. In addition to Marie Mead's personal experiences with rabbits, there are contributing stories by Bernie Siegel, M.D. and Susan Chernak McElroy with two accounts by Nancy LaRoche, Founder and Co-Manager of the Colorado House Rabbit Society. A detailed Table of Contents, Resource section, and Index complete the professional quality. Each chapter concludes with "About Rabbits", a brief section of practical information pertinent to rabbits such as rabbits in a school classroom, rabbits as Easter gifts, deafness in rabbits, bunny-proofing the house etc.
Above all it is Marie's strong spirit that convinces me that this is a powerful and essential volume, beginning with the first chapter, entitled "Stardust," about Kali, the first rabbit to grace Marie in her adult life. This chapter alone will keep you anxiously turning pages, will cause your heart to sing one moment, weep the next, and by the last page of the chapter you will be smiling in gratitude that Marie Mead is on this planet. For we need such compassionate, committed people who are willing to do the hard work to help others. Marie sees the rabbits for who they are - wonderful, independent, courageous beings: individuals who respond to love and respect. And she gives back to them in kind in the most selfless manner. Kali, who came to her severely damaged both in body and soul/spirit - teaches Marie to not give up, to follow her own intuition, do the research, find the answers, listen and observe. What Marie learns from Kali she is able to incorporate in the care she gave her ailing father, to support the flame of life within every being, a flame that continues endlessly beyond one's current life experience. In such a manner does Marie become a teacher for us all.

Anyone thinking about adopting a bunny needs to read this book. It describes in great detail what is involved in the proper care and handling of rabbits and what can happen if certain procedures are not followed. A wonderful book for all people, such as myself, who are owned by a rabbit or two.

This is a beautiful book. It is well written, wonderfully illustrated, thoughtfully organized, and engaging to read. A true gem. The touching stories of rescued bunnies, whether written by the author or other well-known animal advocates, such as Michael W. Fox and Susan Chernak McElroy, are compelling. They sometimes brought a tear to my eye and always a smile to my face.

The organization of the book is well done. Each story, typically three or four pages long, is accompanied by some kind of illustration: most often a captivating color photo or two of the rabbit in the story, but sometimes there are artistic pieces done in another medium, such as water color or ink renderings. At the end of each story, there is a short, but always helpful "About Rabbits" tip. These tips cover the whole gamut of rabbit care and issues, from litter box training rabbits to reasons why classroom rabbits are not a good idea. Each helpful tip or issue is listed in the Table of Contents for easy location.

While these stories are about rabbits, who all have gentle hearts and valiant spirits, they could have just as easily been about dogs or cats or horses, or even a quail named Robert. The message in the touching tales transcends the specific characters, who just so happen to have big back feet and tender ears. They enable readers to recall their own special memories of animals who have touched their lives. It might have been a bunny named Bentley, a dog named Dinsmore, a cat named Cassandra, or even a little baby duck, without a name, that was once held carefully while stroking its feathery softness and smelling the sweetness of its yellow down.

If the reader adores rabbits as I do, the book is a must-have simply because it's full of wonderful stories about these precious animals. But this is also the first rabbit book I've read that has something valuable to offer to everyone who has ever known the love and uniqueness of a special animal. Any animal. It is not a book reserved for "rabbit lovers" only.

It's a perfect choice for people who care about animals now, or have done so in the past. The collection of pictures alone is worth the price of the book.

My favorite literary hero, human or otherwise, is Hazel, the unlikely leader of the Sandleford warren rabbits in Richard Adams's classic Watership Down (voted 42nd of the 100 greatest books of all time in a 2003 public vote by the BBC). Unlike the fictional rabbits of Watership Down, the real-life lagomorphs in Rabbits: Gentle Hearts, Valiant Spirits don't speak English. But they communicate in many other ways. We learn how rabbits express fear, mistrust, and joy. We meet rabbits who sport with dogs and who share friendship licks with cats. But the quality in rabbits that most emerged for me in this gracefully written, handsomely illustrated book was resilience. Some of these poor creatures--each the victim of human cruelty or neglect--appear in such a terrible state, that being a victim of General Woundwort would seem humane by comparison. Yet, thanks to rabbits' indomitable will to live, and to the personal sacrifice shown by those who rescue, nurse and provide a loving home for them, all of the accounts have happy endings.

I literally felt a thrill of pleasure when I first laid eyes on Marie Mead's wonderful book, "Rabbits, Gentle Hearts . Valiant Spirits". The book had been sent to me as a gift from a friend and I felt as I looked through it there was something mystical about it. The beautiful rabbit on the cover seemed to be looking at me with her luminous wise eyes and before I had even read the book, I knew I loved it!

After reading Marie's book, (and I was really sorry when it came to an end) I was in awe that she had the forethought to write an uplifting book such as this...a book that consisted of true stories about rabbits who had been misunderstood or mistreated and thanks to kind people have now been re-homed and rehabilitated, creating much joy and happiness for their new caretaker.

This fascinating book was desperately needed in the rabbit world because it is especially rewarding to those people involved in rabbit rescue who can relate to many of these stories. Having said that, I also think it is an excellent tool for the person who is new to rabbits; the snippets of outstanding educational information provided after each chapter contain a wealth of knowledge pertaining to rabbits and their care. Even though rabbits are now the third most popular pet in the U.S after cats and dogs, many people are totally unaware that rabbits are not a child's pet; they are a pet for a caring, intuitive adult who has educated themselves about their problems and requirements. And as wonderful as I and many other adults find them to be, they are not for everyone. Consequently, many rabbits are often abandoned and abused.

Marie's book exudes love and joy and gives the person reading it an overall feeling of happiness and I believe this wonderful book will be instrumental in saving rabbits who in many instances are still, in the 21st century, a very misunderstood little creature.

RABBITS Gentle Hearts - Valiant Spirits by Marie Mead is an awesome collection of inspirational and heart warming short stories about the love and commitment between rabbits and their caretakers.

The book shares what great communicators and teachers rabbits are to mankind, their need to find the correct caretaker to fit their personality, their fight to live, and what they all give back to their adoptive caretakers.

This book is also very educational including: many facts about rabbits needs and care, what you must consider and expect if wanting to adopt a rabbit, your responsibility as a rabbit caretaker, and a host of references and resources from rescue organization, additional rabbit reading material, medical and health links, products and supplies and so much more.

My home and heart now house three cats, two of whom are aging with medical problems and one stray that came to me with abandonment issues. I also am a rehabber of squirrels through our local wild life sanctuary for the past five years. Raising teeny infant squirrels along with a couple chipmunks and wild bunnies until I am able to return them to their natural habitat is my way of giving back to nature. Having all of these animals in my home has been extremely rewarding.

RABBITS Gentle Hearts - Valiant Spirits by Marie Mead is an easy read for short periods of time and yet hard to put down. This well written book with fantastic photography and artwork will warm your heart, move you to tears and give you a chuckle or two.

Even if you have had little exposure to rabbits in the past, you will now find a special place in your heart for these hoppy huggable friends.

Leave this book out on the coffee table!

This book is written just the way the rabbit is endearing to our hearts...by their looks, their actions, being survivors and teachers.
They have the most individual ways to melt our hearts, with every inch of the way they were created. Their actions run from entertaining to communicating. They survive, as a domesticated cousin to their prey ancestory and they provide us the knowledge of humility. All of this is the rabbit and is captured in the poignant and touching stories, that are shared with us by those who can and those who had a rabbit(s) become a part of their hearts. When reading this collection of love stories, we can all relate!

This is definitely the most touching book about animals that I have ever read. Even if you know absolutely nothing about bunnies before you pick up this book, you will fall in love with these wonderful creatures!!! There is a lot of mystery and misunderstanding about rabbits---this book will help to clear it all up. If you ever thought about getting a rabbit, you definitely need to read this book first. Remember you are never a rabbit owner, you are a caregiver and guardian to these amazing animals. They demand attention and you need to spend quality time with them. The rewards are numerous. We can learn so much about ourselves by learning about the triumphs of the rabbits in this book. If you don't cry a little after reading each short true story--well, you need to get your emotions checked by a doctor. The rabbits will to live in these stories will certainly brighten your day. Anytime you are feeling down, just pick it up and start reading. Great therapy!!! The bottom line is I love my bunny (and all bunnies) more each day after reading this book!!

these stories are very very touching and enjoyable to read. you wont be able to put this book down! it also has tips on rabbit care. i would suggest this book to any rabbit lover!