This little volume took me all of one day to read. It consists of sixteen short tales, fables really, populated by talking animals and meant to comment on various human foibles and shortcomings. A parrot tabloid reporter interviews a pot-bellied Vietnamese pig, and uses the resulting article to stir up feelings among Vietnam-war vets. The pig, in contrast, is only upset because the reporter referred to him as "pot-bellied". A crow convinces a mother sheep to try meditation, so that the crow can attack a baby lamb without the ewe being aware of it. A toad, a turtle and a duck wait in a government-office line, complaining to each other about bureaucracy and government inefficiency. Various animals take part in an AA meeting in prison, including a mink who had swapped his pelt for a bottle of Kahlua.
All of these stories are good for a chuckle. Although I prefer it when Sedaris is telling stories about his own family, his dry wit makes these tales enjoyable. The text is accompanied by illustrations drawn by Ian Falconer (author of the "Olivia" series of children's books).
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