Pet portrait artist and illustrator Lili Chin has been drawing her entire life. Her art education has come from learning on the job rather than through formal education. As a child, she liked drawing people and creatures, and making up … Continue reading Interview with Lili Chin, A Pet Artist
The older I get, the more disinterested I become in classics, despite having grown up with them. They feel too long-winded, old-fashioned, and dull. Or as if they were childhood things which I’d been forced to enjoy. Nothing could be farther from my experience but, nowadays, it still takes the right book to remind me of how pleasurable and rich the experience of reading a classic can be. When my husband recently pointed out that Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck features a poodle, I pushed past my prejudice and fell in love with a good book. When Steinbeck was … Continue reading Review: Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
Liz Mugavero has been writing stories since she could hold a pen. Before that, she would tell them to anyone who would listen. After deciding early on she would write books for a living, she practiced by writing poems, short stories and even a storyline for a soap opera–all by age 15. She never wavered from her goals, obtaining a master’s in writing and publishing as well as spending time in journalism, public relations, communications, and marketing. She’s confident that writing IS the way to make a living. She’s best known for her Pawsitively Organic Mysteries. The first book, Kneading … Continue reading Cozy Cat Mystery Author Liz Mugavero
For dog lovers, The Book of Joe is quirky little book with lots of personality. It’s written by Vincent Price of Hollywood fame who starred as a villain in dozens of macabre horror films. Far from being scary, however, The Book of Joe is a light-hearted and humorous account of Price’s life with pets. An orange-brown-black haired mutt who came into an empty moment in Price’s life is the star of this memoir. Price referred to him as “all dog”. At one moment, Joe could dutifully put up with hauling and yanking of a five-year-old boy (Price’s son), and in another moment … Continue reading Review: The Book of Joe by Vincent Price
Years ago, I bought Grieving the Death of a Pet by Betty Carmack because the topic interested me. When I recently lost my cat of eight years, I picked it up again to once again find comfort in it. The first few weeks after Lucy’s death, the personal stories of owners who had also suffered loss filled me with such uncontrollable grief that I had to put the book back on my shelf. Now, two months later, I’ve finally been able to read Grieving the Death of a Pet in its entirety. In the chapter about love, Carmack addresses the … Continue reading Review: Grieving the Loss of a Pet by Betty Carmack
As I enter into my sixth year of blogging about pets, I thought it appropriate to rerun some of my articles about past pets. I’ve already introduced you to my first cat. Throughout the rest of February, I’ll introduce you to other pets that I’ve owned. In doing so, I’ll also tell you how each has changed my life. I grew up with Samoyed. According to the American Kennel Club, this is an ancient working breed developed by the Samoyede people of Siberia. They used the dogs for herding reindeer, hunting and hauling sledges as well as guard work. The … Continue reading Dogs of My Childhood
Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know by Hy Conrad and Jeff Johnson is a cute and funny book designed to entertain. For the most part, the comedy works. And while you’re unlikely to turn to Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know for reference, it does make a great addition to a bathroom shelf or any place you might need some relaxed readings. Sometimes, you’ll even learn a few things about man’s best friend. Oh, and it’s mostly safely for the entire family to read. Cute and funny require a delicate balancing act. Lean too far left or … Continue reading Review: Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know by Hy Conrad and Jeff Johnson
Mine for Keeps by Jean Little is a long-time favorite book of mine. Little so perfectly captures the emotions of her characters that all readers will relate to them, whether they’re the intended audience of elementary-school children or forty-something-year-old adults like me. Mine for Keeps, along with Little’s other stories about young people with disabilities, remains among the best fiction out there on the topic. As an additional perk, Little’s books are set in Canada. The main character of Mine for Keeps has cerebral palsy. While Sal’s experiences might differ from mine, her feelings continually resonated with me. Take for … Continue reading Review: Mine for Keeps by Jean Little
Catherine Smith is a pet owner, artist, and entrepreneur. She founded Muttleys, a fully-insured and professional First Aid Trainer, Dog Walker, and Pet Care Service provider based in Nottingham in the United Kingdom. She also started Pawsome Reads Book Club. This post carries reviews from her of two of the club’s featured reads. Maggie the Wunderdog follows the life to date of Maggie from her humble beginnings as a street dog in Beirut, through her journey of adversity to a loving forever home in the United Kingdom with author of the book Kasey Carlin. I was a little apprehensive about … Continue reading Book Reviews from Pawsome Reads
Berkeley Breathed’s Flawed Dogs picture book is so good, it deserves to be framed. But don’t, because you’ll want to reread it until its pages are ragged and taped with adoration. In a “letter” from Breathed, we learn that Heidy Strudelberg became swept up with dog showing until meeting a three-legged dog named Sam the Lion. Minutes later, she retired to Piddleton, Vermont to transform a crumbling grain elevator in into the Last Chance Dog Pound. She also created a catalog for your consideration of the pound’s very available leftovers. The letter is in such small print that younger readers will probably … Continue reading Review: Flawed Dogs by Barkley Breathed
Don’t Dump the Dog offers practical advice for solving behavior problems of dogs, along with lots of laughs and a few tears. Randy Grimm is well-qualified to write this collection of stories and solutions, given that he’s devoted two decades of his life to rescuing street dogs and operates the well-known Stray Rescue in Missouri. As with the biography written about him by Melinda Roth, Don’t Dump the Dog will also make you at least a little mad. This opening chapter sets the stage for how the rest of the book is laid out, being hilarious in setup and style, practical … Continue reading Review: Don’t Dump the Dog by Randy Grimm
When my signed hardcover copy of A Dog’s Way Home by Bobbie Pyron first arrived, I felt as if it were Christmas. In being about eleven-year-old Abby and her champion sheltie Tam after they’re separated by a car accident, it’s like a modern-day Lassie Come Home. However, A Dog’s Way Home also distinguishes itself from other classic lost dog stories by being told through alternating viewpoints. In this riveting tale of over 300 pages, Pyron treats readers to an intense love story with complex relationships and probing themes. What is so special about lost dog stories? At their heart is the bond of love … Continue reading Review: A Dog’s Way Home by Bobbi Pryon
