Thanks to NetGalley I was able to get an advanced e-copy of Garret Weyr’s new children’s fiction book, Harvey and the Collection of Impossible Things.
This was a quick read despite it’s being 100+ pages. Told from the point of view of Harvey the cat, the reader goes on Harvey’s adventure with him, learning what the life of a street cat (or dog) is like, feeling the fear and sadness right with him. Throughout Harvey’s journey, aside from learning about how his life has been like the last six years, we see how Harvey interacts with other animals, such as looking up to his dog friend Chester and making friends with sparrows. We also learn about Harvey’s list of impossible things to do–such as be a brave city cat like his brother, and rescue his sister from kitty jail (the shelter).
When Harvey is left starving and bullied by other animals and humans, he runs away looking for a safe place to hide, and finds himself on the roof of an apartment building. There a young woman finds him, and he recognizes her as the nice lady who feeds him outside of the bakery. She brings him a litterbox and a box bed, and they form a friendship through conversation. Although the woman cannot understand Harvey’s meows, she still talks to him about her plants and her bakery, and Harvey listens. One day he decides that he trusts the woman, and puts learning her name on his list of impossible things.
From this point, Harvey continues to do new brave things, such as allow the bakery owner to pet him and hold him; he climbs the water tower to hide from her friend, and he makes sure to befriend even the the sparrow that is afraid of him (after all, most cats chase birds, but not Harvey)!
Harvey even lets her bring him inside her apartment, where he learns that her name is Danielle. He likes Danielle, and decides that he isn’t a city cat anymore, because he’s found himself a human. He even lets her friend Rachel pet him, and when he learns that she wants a dog as her pet, he runs away–to find Chester, who used to have a human of his own. Although Chester doesn’t want to find a new human, he introduces Harvey to some new puppies he is hiding with–puppies who have been orphaned and need some help learning how to dog. Chester sends one puppy, Lila, back home with Harvey, and Rachel adopts the little puppy before Harvey goes back to Danielle’s.
Harvey has learned to love life with Danielle, and Lila loves life with Rachel. They hear news from the sparrows, who tell them that Harvey’s brother is still safe, living on a campus where he gets food and shelter. They tell them that Harvey’s sister is happy in her new home, where she gets to play and have food every day, just like Harvey now does. The sparrows tell them that one of Lila’s brothers has a new home too, and the other puppies are still safe with Chester.
Harvey realizes now that his list of impossible things is empty, so he adds a new item to his list, but it isn’t an impossible thing this time–that thing is to stay with the people and friends that he loves, and that’s what he does. Harvey has learned to trust some humans and make new friends, to cuddle on the bed and play water from the faucet–he even likes to eat wet food and play with Lila, even though she can be loud (after all, she’s just a puppy).
Alongside that fear and sadness you feel during the book, you also feel Harvey’s joy and wisdom–you might even cry a little, because this book is so well written and offers so many valuable lessons, all with a happy ending that will make sure you laugh and smile.
This book also gives me the opportunity to urge you all to reach out to your local animal shelters–you can volunteer there, apply to foster an animal that is waiting for his or her forever home, or just find out what supplies they most need. You can organize a fundraiser, donate to them yourself, or share their social media posts to help get the word out that they have adoptable pets. Many shelters have special programs you can learn about, such as their foster programs, TNR programs (including low-cost spay/neuter for families who can’t always afford a more expensive vet), or upcoming adoption events to allow others to meet their new family member. If you can’t adopt yourself, these are great ways to help out, or, you can sponsor the adoption and/or training of a cat and dog at a shelter, so that the person who adopts them doesn’t need to cover that initial cost–many shelters offer cheap adoption fees! Another easy way to help an animal in need may be leaving out cat food for a stray colony in your neighborhood, or calling the local shelter for advice if you see a lost pup. Please, reach out and look into the different options, because there are so many ways to help, even if you don’t have a lot of spare time or money. The animals will appreciate it, and so will the shelter employees/volunteers! That gratitude can be seen through Harvey’s POV in the book I’ve just reviewed, Harvey and the Collection of Impossible Things.
While this book would be great for any child or adult, it will be especially interesting to those who have a special interest in helping animals, or some extra compassion for the cats and dogs of the world. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did, and if you do, please leave a review on Goodreads or suggest it to your friends!
This book has just been added to my wish-list, because I’d enjoy having a paperback copy to go back to sometime. If you haven’t been able to read this yet, I highly recommend it–this is a great story for kids and adults alike, and I think you’ll find it a great addition to your shelves. This book, along with my recommendation, is getting a full ten of ten stars.
SheReadsWorlds 