Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Road to Recovery is Paved with Dog Treats is a children's animal picture book written by Patricia A. Brill, Ph.D. and illustrated by Curt Walstead. Turbo is a boxer who has a lot of experience going to the vet. He's had three surgeries, and he's the perfect companion for any animal who's waiting for surgery and is frightened of being there. Murphy is one of those animals. He ate some clothing and other things while his human companion wasn't home. They made him feel terrible, and his human rushed him to the vet. When Turbo tells Murphy about his surgeries, Murphy has a lot of questions to ask. He wonders what will happen when it's time for the surgery and if someone will be there when he wakes up. He also wants to know if he'll hurt when he wakes up and, most important of all, when he can go home again. Turbo answers all of Murphy's questions, and, before you know it, Murphy is being wheeled back from surgery.

Patricia A. Brill's animal book for children, The Road to Recovery is Paved with Dog Treats, is a marvelous read that explains what happens when a family pet needs to have surgery. Children can be as frightened as Murphy was about the whole process, and this book explains every step in a way that's reassuring and easily understood by both children and their parents. I've had friends with dogs who ate all sorts of strange things when they were puppies, and the dog owners would tell us all about the medical emergency when they were finally back at the dog park again. Brill's picture book is also an excellent introduction to veterinary medicine for children, who may want to consider a career as a vet, vet tech, or nurse when they grow up. Curt Walstead's brightly colored illustrations are charming and help maintain the positive nature of this book. I especially enjoyed the artist's skill in rendering the expressions on the dogs' faces. The Road to Recovery is Paved with Dog Treats is highly recommended.