Dr. MacVean is a local veterinarian who grew up in Sacramento. He received his D.V.M. from U. C. Davis, and M.P.H. and Ph.D. from U. C. Berkeley. His career included Jungle wildlife research, consultant to the Malaysian National Zoo and Chicago Zoo, professorships at two major universities. Dozens of research papers were published in medical journals.
My Patients Like Treats: Tales from a House Call Veterinarian, his first book, is due on major bookstore shelves May 1, 2018. This memoir of experiences during 27 years of house calls has been described as James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small meets Dr. Camuti’s All My Patients Are Under the Bed. A sampling of what reviewers are saying — “a kind-hearted book from a kind-hearted man”, “funny at times, heartbreaking at others”, “filled with mystery, surprise, and a lot of fun, these short stories are anchored in the details of life as a veterinarian”, “it is an elegantly told study of the human condition as witnessed by a man who sees far more than surface wounds and ailments. This book beautifully captures dramatic moments in other people’s lives while never forgetting the reason for the author’s presence: the pets themselves.”
Shirley Parenteau grew up along the Northern Oregon Coast fascinated by feature articles her mother wrote for Portland newspapers. Shirley wrote for outdoor magazines and for ten years wrote a humorous column for the Elk Grove Citizen. Her first eight children’s books were followed by novels for Ballantine Books and Harlequin Historical. For the past ten years, Candlewick Press has published her children’s books, beginning with a counting book, One Frog Sang. An ongoing picture book series began with Bears on Chairs (since published in translation in several countries). In July 2018, Bears on Chairs will be published in a duo-language version in English and Spanish. A seventh picture book, Bears and Blossoms came out in March 2018. Two more bear titles are underway.