I just received this email about animal books from the ASPCA (Hachiko Waits sounds good):

THE WRITE STUFF: WINNERS OF 2004 ASPCA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Now here’s some “fine print” that shouldn’t be overlooked! Earlier this week, the ASPCA honored the winners of the fifth annual Henry Bergh Children’s Book Awards program at a special ceremony and book signing held in conjunction with the American Library Association’s Annual Conference. A dozen titles were recognized for their exemplary handling of animal- and environment-related subject matter, including:

* Firefly Books’ Changing the Future for Endangered Wildlife Series, which features lively, accessible text and stunning color photographs of chimpanzees, frogs and elephants;

* Hachiko Waits, Leslea Newman’s fictional account of a real-life dog who kept vigil for nearly ten years at a Tokyo train station, waiting for his deceased master to return from work; and

* The Goat Lady by Joan Bergoli, which chronicles the friendship between the author’s family and an old woman who keeps a herd of white goats in her yard.

“The ASPCA hopes that by recognizing these books, we are providing parents, teachers and librarians with the tools necessary to instill in our children the need to respect and properly care for pets and the environment,” says Ed Sayres, ASPCA President.

If you’re looking for some great summer reads for the littlest animal lovers in your life, the 2004 Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award Winners are now available for purchase online. And we’ve got a great deal for humane educators, teachers and librarians (or anyone else who’d like to get a complete set of this year’s award winners)—when you buy all 12 titles, you’ll receive a 15% discount.