Connie’s Book Club – Spring 10
Dogs in Vogue: A Century of Canine Chic by Judith Watt
Dog-loving fashionistas will be delighted by Judith Watt’s captivating celebration of nearly a
century of canine style. Containing a irresistible selection of Vogue fashion photos and illustrations
featuring our canine friends, Dogs in Vogue provides undeniable visual proof that our
love affair with the canine species dates back far further than our current 21st century obsession.
Extraordinary photos by the likes of Weber, Beaton, and Testino (to name but a few)
that capture the world’s most stylish women and men alongside their coiffed and pampered
pets grace the pages of this fascinating book. Lady Diana Cooper, Cindy Crawford, Elizabeth
Taylor, Yves Saint Laurent, Manolo Blahnick, Marc Jacobs—they’re all here, with their dogs,
of course. If you love dogs and fashion, Dogs in Vogue is for you.–Connie
Move Over Rover: What To Name Your New Pup When the Ordinary Just Won't Do by Kyra Kirkwood
If you or someone you know is adding a dog to the family mix, Move Over Rover is the must have
naming guide to choosing a handle for the new canine kid. Gone are traditional names
like Spot, Fluffy, or Fido, replaced by unique and, some might say, more meaningful monikers.
According to Kirkwood, the key to finding the perfect name befitting a dog’s individuality
is to first determine his temperament by answering the 24 questions listed in the book’s
Personality Test. You can then deduce if your dog is The Cheerleader, The 9-to-5er, The Don,
The Lone Ranger, The Wallflower, The Couch Potato, The Jock, or The Diva/Pretty Boy.
Once you’ve determined your pup’s personality, the corresponding names and their meanings
will provide the inspiration you need to select just the right name. With nearly one thousand
names (and their meanings) along with recipes, photography tips, and other dog-relevant
information, this book is both useful AND fun.–Connie
Top Dogs and Their Pets. Photography by David Woo and Richard Michael Pruitt
Gorgeous, quirky, and sweet black and white photography make Top Dogs and Their Pets (Parapet Press, 2009), filled with CEOs, celebrities, and politicians and their favourite pets, an interesting and artistic one to flip through. The “top dogs” who’ve been photographed answer a few questions in their own words, which adds a unique hint of personality and humour to what could otherwise be a pretty tabletop book without much substance. Our favourite? Nancy Lieberman and her pet fish Nemo. Her favourite time spent together? “Checking on them in the morning to make sure they are still alive.”–Melissa
Rufus Rhymes: Modern Lullabies for Dog Lovers, by Ron Burns with Andy Demsky
You talk to your dog and there’s nothing wrong with it. We’re willing to bet that you sing to your dog, too. There’s nothing like a rousing rendition of “Good Morning Sunshine” to help Fido rise and shine, especially when he joins in and howls along, the perfect complement to your off-key warbling. So maybe it isn’t such a stretch to imagine snuggling up with your favourite pup and reading him a bedtime story, and Rufus Rhymes (Burns Studio Publishing, 2009) is the perfect one, with rich illustrations that brightly light the pages. The deep gem tones and whimsical puppy faces are sure to lull your dog into the best nap filled with the sweetest dreams imaginable.–Melissa
To The Rescue: Found Dogs with a Mission by Elise Lufkin
To the Rescue (Skyhorse Publishing, 2009) is a collection of true stories that examines the unconditional love of dogs who have suffered the worst treatment at the hands of their owners and survived to not only overcome, but to become an inspiration to people who they have every right to fear and distrust. There are so many stories of abused, neglected, abandoned, or even tortured dogs who go on to become guardians of humans who are hurting, scared, or traumatized that this book only serves as a small survey of them. And that in itself a testament to the unbreakable canine spirit. Any dog lover will not be able to look away from these heartwarming, amazing stories of dogs lost and found again.–Melissa
Resku: A celebration of the Rescued Dog and Those Who Rescue
The fourth in an endearing, amusing, and heartwarming series of haiku poems inspired by dogs (and, regrettably, cats!), Resku (CreateSpace, 2009) is dedicated to rescued dogs and those who rescue them. At times wistful, sweet, and optimistic, this book also features poems which are heartbreaking in their sad acceptance of shelter life and the more tragic outcomes of not being chosen for a forever home.
Dogscaping: Creating the Perfect Backyard & Garden For You and Your Dog by Tom Barthel
If you’re looking to
create the perfect
backyard and garden,
one that both
you AND your dog
can enjoy, then Dogscaping is the resource for you.
Whether you’re reclaiming a dug-up garden, looking
for ways to hide the dog-worn path along your
yard’s perimeter, turn a yellow lawn back to green,
interested in building a dog pond or digging pit, or
looking to find the perfect dog-safe, hardy landscaping
features and plants, this book tells you how.
Avid naturalist Barthel provides well-laid-out advice
and tips embellished with plenty of colour photographs
and illustrations, and even recipes made with
the bountiful vegetable crop that you’ll finally be
able to grow.–Connie
Am I Boring My Dog? And 99 Other Things Every Dog Wishes You Knew by Edie Jarolim
Jarolim grew up in
a non-pet household
and considered herself
missing the canine caretaking
gene—that
is, until her dog-rescuing friend convinced her otherwise.
Since her conversion, Jarolim has written
a book geared to the canine clueless (as she was)
in order to assist them in achieving a happy and
healthy dog-inclusive household. Focusing on the
relationship between one person and one dog, Am
I Boring My Dog? provides sound advice and basic
information for those contemplating getting a dog,
those who have just gotten a dog, and those who
want to do better by their dog. From answering
questions such as “How do I know if I’ll be good at
dog care?” “What’s the best age at which to get a
dog?” and “Mixed breed or pure bred?” to providing
information on pet insurance, food, health, grooming,
training, traveling, and more, this helpful and
entertaining book teaches the importance of being
your dog’s leader while providing the important
basics first-time dog parents need to have under
their belts.–Connie
51 Puppy Tricks: Step-by-Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with your Puppy by Kyra Sundance and Jadie
Teaching your new pup tricks is a fun way of
training her to listen and learn while you spend
quality time together in an activity that will not
only impress your friends, but help you build a
strong bond. Internationally acclaimed stunt-dog
trainer Kyra Sundance shows you how to use positive reinforcement methods
in simple steps that will produce a joyful, willing, and eager-to-learn puppy.
Sundance’s instructions are easy to follow, while the dynamic photographs
illustrate the trick in detail, giving you all the tools you need to have fun teaching
your puppy tricks.–Connie
How I, Nicky Flynn, Finally Got A Life (And A Dog) by Art Corriveau
With his mother and father going through a
messy divorce, Nicky Flynn finds himself without
friends, in a new school, and in a strange
city. Things seem even more out of control when
his mom brings home Reggie, a large German
Shepherd from the animal shelter that, as a former
seeing eye dog, thinks it’s his job to drag
Nicky around the neighbourhood as though
he were a blind master. With his mother increasingly preoccupied, Nicky
begrudgingly assumes the responsibility of looking after Reggie; however,
as Nicky’s life becomes ever more complicated, he realizes that Reggie has
somehow become his new best friend and perhaps the only one he can truly
rely on. With a believable and engrossing story, Nicky Flynn will help younger
readers to understand and deal with their own emotions and feelings when
changes in their lives seem unfair and out of their control, while emphasizing
the power of the unconditional companionship dogs provide.–Connie
Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons for Expanding Our Compassion Footprint by Marc Bekoff
Dr. Marc Bekoff has spent years studying animal
behaviour, proving that animals share our biological
heritage and our emotional and moral complexities.
Animal Manifesto, his latest book, is a
call for action to “raise our consciousnesses about
the lives of our fellow animals and change the current
paradigm.” His six principles are 1/ that all
animals share the Earth and we must coexist; 2/ animals can think and feel;
3/ animals have and deserve compassion; 4/ connection breeds caring, alienation
breeds disrespect; 5/ our world is not compassionate to animals; and
6/ acting compassionately helps all beings and our world. Bekoff tells us that
practicing these “reasons” will help us to expand our compassion footprint
and influence others to do the same. His findings and optimistic conclusions in
Animal Manifesto inspire and gently lead us to begin taking steps to make the
world a better place for all inhabitants of this planet.–Connie
Hollywood Barks! The Tails Behind Famous Dogs, Their Co-Stars, and Their Companions by Kathryn Segura
Though this book promises to teach the reader Hollywood training secrets to help their dog become a star, Hollywood Barks! (Happy Tails Books, 2009) reads more like an insider’s view of the fascinating backstage world of animal actors and their trainers. It’s filled with dozens of personal stories about the successes, failures, frustrations, and triumphs of rescuing, training, and working with the talented four-legged stars of movies, commercials, and live theatre. Interesting, engaging, and well-written, it offers a unique point of view on a different sort of bond that exists between a human and her dogs unlike those we usually read about, and that’s why this book is so fascinating.–Melissa
Memoirs of the Bathtub Psychic: The True Story of a Clairvoyant & Her Dogs by Bethanne Elion
Sometimes a book comes along that offers a new perspective on things or a new way to see the world, and this one is like that. Written in delicate, careful prose that is nearly poetry, Memoirs of the Bathtub Psychic (Langdon Street Press, 2009) is, at its most simplistic, a story about a woman and the dogs she has known. At its heart, though, it is a beautiful story about a woman and the dogs’ lives she has changed, and most of all, how they have changed hers.–Melissa
Skippyjon Jones: Lost In Spice by Judy Schachner
Skippyjon Jones is not a dog. He’s a cat, and as such, he finds himself without much company in the Modern Dog magazine book club. However, he does think he’s a dog (a Chihuahua, to be precise, because “his ears are too big for his head,” not to mention his fondness for Spanish), so maybe we can let this one slide. He does run with a frolicking, trouble-causing band of Chihuahuas as well, and in Skippyjon Jones, Lost in Spice (Dutton Juvenile, 2009), they take their adventures to outer space—ahem, spice—in a epic quest to taste the red spice on the planet Mars and save Skippyjon Jones’ sockmonkey from an evil band of marauding Martians. Worth it for the attitude alone, this book is a charming, rhyming, brightly-illustrated outer space romp that will have readers old and young alike grinning and singing along.–Melissa
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