Tom the Tamer by Tjibbe Veldkamp, illustrated by Philip Hopman Ages 3-6 32 pages Lemniscaat USA November 2011 Hardcover     Tom is outside training snails and squirrels to be circus performers. He would like his father to see his accomplishments, but to make that happen, he’ll need to eradicate his father’s fear of animals. Since animal training comes naturally to Tom, he decides to bring a variety of wild but harmless animals inside the house for his father to meet. The introductions make the story suspenseful and humorous because the animals have been trained to look and behave like living room furniture. Veldkamp and Hopman (The School Trip) have created a heartfelt story about a father-and-son relationship. The foldout page at the end of the book shows that the father has conquered his fear and found a way to spend more time with his son.     web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2012 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)