The author presents a collection of three animal-themed essays. In The Toad, the Turtle, and the Duck, a group of complete strangers bitterly discuss the order of things within the animal kingdom. In Hello Kitty, a miserable alcoholic cat attends AA. In The Squirrel and the Chipmunk, two lovers are torn apart by their quarreling families.

The cat and the baboon -- The migrating warblers -- The squirrel and the chipmunk -- The toad, the turtle, and the duck -- The motherless bear -- The mouse and the snake -- The parenting storks -- The faithful setter -- The crow and the lamb -- The sick rat and the healthy rat -- The cow and the turkey -- The vigilant rabbit -- The judicious brown chicken -- The parrot and the potbellied pig -- Hello kitty -- The grieving owl.