1996 ‘Pick of the Lists’ (ABA)
1996 Children’s Books (NY Public Library)

Amazon.com Review
Jean Craighead George deserves to be ranked among the great children's writers of our time. Of her previous books, Julie of the Wolves won a Newbery Medal and My Side of the Mountain is one of the most thrilling and engaging books ever written for kids. The Tarantula in My Purse is a memoir of sorts, telling the tales of the various animals that have passed through George's house, from "The Screech Owl Who Liked Television" to "The Goose and the Duck Who Were Arrested for Disturbing the Peace."

From Publishers Weekly
What kind of mother keeps bats in the refrigerator, leaves the windows open so wild crows can fly into the house and doesn't flinch at tarantulas? A mother like Newbery Medalist George (Julie of the Wolves). In this true story about the orphaned animals her family raised and released (they had a permit for wild animal care), she uses her novelist's skill and humor in recounting the escapades of Crowbar, the clever family crow; of Yammer, a screech owl who liked to watch Road Runner cartoons; and of Goose and Duck, who loved riding in the car so much that they once flew into a police cruiser (and got arrested for disturbing the peace). Following tales of domestic delight amid the menagerie of crawfish, boas, wolverines, raccoons, mice and falcons, an epilogue describes the animal-related careers George's grown children now have. It's a one-of-a-kind lesson in living with nature in a far more literal sense than most people ever would undertake, endearingly told. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6?Transporting tarantulas in a purse may not be the norm elsewhere, but in the George household there's nothing unusual about it at all. A robin in a teacup, an owl in the shower, a bat in the refrigerator...all perfectly ordinary for a family of animal lovers. Noted for her environmental fiction and animal stories, George also shows readers how entertaining real life with wild creatures can be in this delightful autobiographical tale. Continuing a tradition started by her father, the author raised every sort of wild animal right alongside her own children. In a time when "anyone was free to bring home the earth's creatures to nurture and think about," George certainly did. Told in a casual and thoroughly engaging manner, the stories will enchant all animal lovers and even those who aren't. The integration of little-known facts will pique further interest as well. Equally entertaining for adults and children, these brief, amusing vignettes make wonderful read-alouds to share with the whole family.?Lisa Wu Stowe, Great Neck Library, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

The New York Times Book Review, Betsy Hearne
... buoyant and entertaining ... young naturalists ... will happily meander through Ms. George's book, envying her children their wild domestic education. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews
Over the years, George (There's an Owl in the Shower, 1995, etc.) and her three children moved a lot, but wherever they went they gave succor, shelter, and affection to a succession of injured or homeless wild creatures, from ferrets to falcons, spiders to salamanders, bats to box turtles. A screech owl who had fallen from his nest became a TV and toy-train addict in the Georges' care before his eventual return to the wild. Another time, a friend brought a duck egg and a goose egg to the Georges, both of which hatched into birds that grew up convinced they were people. The story nearly ended in disaster when the goose and duck were arrested by a local police officer for disturbing the peace, but George, as usual, came to the creatures' rescue. The book is brimming with similar stories, all narrated with humor and warmth, and all of which will show George's many fans yet another aspect of her life and work. (Nonfiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Book Description
Humorous, heart-warming, and just plain entertaining, these stories by Newbery Medalist Jean Craighead George recall what life was like as she raised three children and 173 wild pets. On any given day there might be a bat in the refrigerator, an owl in the shower, or a crow at the kitchen table. Jean Craighead George’s respect for nature and its many creatures is evident in all of her writing. Here, she offers a personal, firsthand account of the many animals that made their way into her life and her books.

1996 ‘Pick of the Lists’ (ABA)
1996 Children’s Books (NY Public Library)

Card catalog description
A collection of autobiographical stories about raising a houseful of children and wild pets including crows, skunks, and raccoons. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Jean Craighead George is the award-winning author of over eighty books for children and young adults. Her novel julie of the wolves won the Newbery Medal in 1973, and she has continued to write acclaimed picture books that celebrate the natural world. Her previous books with Wendell Minor include Everglades, Arctic Son, and Morning, Noon, and Night. Mrs. George lives in Chappaqua, New York.