Category: dogs

animals, children, dogs

Why Do Dogs Sniff Butts?

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Dr. Nick Crumpton
Illustrator: Lily Snowden-Fine
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 978-0-500-65223-7
Pages: 48
Price: $16.95

Author’s website
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Have you ever wondered why dogs sniff butts? Or what their wagging tails mean? Do you know about the various jobs dogs were bred to perform? Or why dogs chase cats? If you’re fascinated with man’s best friend and just want to know more about them, Why Do Dogs Sniff Butts? is the perfect book for you.

Filled with lots of interesting facts about dogs, this illustrated book is a fun read for kids or any dog lover. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, dogs

Stay Benson!

Bergers Book Reviews


Author & Illustrator: Thereza Rowe
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 978-0-500-65153-7
Pages: 32
Price: $16.95

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Before she leaves for school, Flick tells Benson to stay. But as soon as she’s gone, Benson runs outside to play. As Benson explores, the cat reminds him that he’s supposed to stay, not play! The day ends too quickly and Benson must rush home to be there when Flick arrives.

Creative page cut-outs allow the reader to see scenes from before and after the current page, and the artwork is minimalistic in bright colors. Kids will enjoy this whimsical day in the life of a disobedient pup.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, dogs

Paw Patrol: Rescue Time

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Cara Stevens
Producer: Nickelodeon
Publisher: Studio Fun International
ISBN: 978-0-7944-3867-8
Pages: 32
Price: $18.99

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In Pups Save a Tooth, the Paw Patrol is called to find a missing tooth, which was placed inside a carrot for safekeeping and has now disappeared. But once they locate the carrot, it isn’t quite so simple to bring it back.

Pups Save the Songbirds sends the Paw Patrol on a hunt for some missing songbirds. Their nests are full of eggs but the birds have vanished. First they need to protect the eggs, so the baby birds can hatch. Then they need to find out where the missing birds have gone and bring them back.

This two-story book also includes a projector watch, which allows kids to scroll through the images that correspond to the stories. Each image is indicated by a number in the text of the story. Fans of Paw Patrol will enjoy this fun book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, children, dogs

Pug

Bergers Book Reviews

Pug
Author & Illustrator: Ethan Long
Publisher: Holiday House
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3688-0
Pages: 24
Price: $6.99

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Pug sees Peg, and he wants to go out NOW! But no one is paying any attention. Finally he threatens Tad by lifting his leg, and Tad quickly responds to Pug’s wishes. Now Pug is glad, since Pug once again sees Peg.

Pug is a darling I Like to Read book that both parents and children can enjoy. Young children may not notice the subtle humor behind the leg lifting, who Peg really is, and the way both pug owners (and their dogs) secretly glance at each other at the end. But they will love Pug and fully understand that Pug needs to go out. Ethan Long is a talented author and illustrator with a great sense of humor, and he’s crafted another winner. Kids will love Pug.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

cats, dogs, graphic novel

Graphic Classics Vol. 25: Canine / Feline Classics

Bergers Book Reviews

Graphic Classics - Canine & Feline Classics
Authos: Ray Bradbury, P. G. Wodehouse, Algernon Blackwood, Robert E. Howard, Franz Kafka, Saki, Edward Lear, Joe R. Lansdale, Carl Sandburg, Joseph Jacobs, H. P. Lovecraft, Ambrose Bierce
Editors: John Lehman, Tom Pomplun
Illustrators: Dragan Kovacevic, Neale Blanden, Milton Knight, Senthil Kumar, Evert Geradts, Hunt Emerson, Shary Flenniken, Jim McMunn, J. B. Bonivert, John Findley, Shepherd Hendrix, Randy DuBurke
Publisher: Eureka Productions
ISBN: 978-0-9825630-8-3
Pages: 144
Price: $19.95

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If you’re looking for warm and fuzzy animal stories, you won’t find them in this book. Instead, dark tales like The Emissary, Ancient Sorceries, The Beast from the Abyss, and Dog, Cat and Baby fill these pages, along with the appropriately somber illustrations. A few cheerier tales in The Owl and the Pussycat, Ulysses and the Dogman, and What I Learn from Dogs/Cats are interspersed to lighten things up.

Teens (and adults) can augment their literary knowledge by reading these abridged classics. Illustrations are provided by several talented authors, as these stories come to life in graphic novel form.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, dogs

The Trouble With Cavapoos

Bergers Book Reviews

The Trouble With Cavapoos
Author: Stella Dutton
Illustrator: Franfou
Publisher: Quimby & Sneet
ISBN: 978-0-9790832-4-2
Pages: 32
Price: $19.99

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If you’ve ever owned a Cavapoo, you might have discovered they are full of mischief. The Trouble With Cavapoos details their crazy behavior, showing them romping through the mud, chasing cats, and howling through the night. But although they are difficult to live with, the narrator clearly adores her pooches.

The Trouble With Cavapoos is written in rhyming verse, which occasionally stumbles over awkward phrases. The illustrations are clever and funny, highlighting the zany problems this poor owner finds herself in with her treasured pets. Kids will giggle over these funny scenarios.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

dogs, humor

Ask Anna

Bergers Book Reviews

Ask Anna
Author: Dean Koontz & his dog Anna
Publisher: Center Street
Genre: Humor / Dogs
ISBN: 978-1-4555-3079-3
Pages: 96
Price: $20.00

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Dean Koontz was surprised to find that his dog, Anna, was giving advice to other dogs. In Ask Anna, she shares her advice with the furry and forlorn.

Trouble with the cat next door? Anna can help. Body image problem – legs too short, tongue too long? Anna knows exactly what to do about it. Behavior issue – digging, chewing, scratching? Anna has the answer.

Filled with photos of dogs along with their various questions, Ask Anna is the perfect Christmas gift for your canine companion. And if you’re curious what he’s thinking, it might be wise to get yourself a copy, too. This adorable book is perfect for anyone who loves dogs.

100% of what the author receives from the sale of Ask Anna will be donated to Canine Companions for Independence, the nonprofit organization that trains service dogs for people with disabilities.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, dogs

Dog Daze (S.A.V.E. Squad: Book 1)

Bergers Book Reviews

Dog Daze
Authors: Lauraine Snelling & Kathleen Damp Wright
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 978-1-61626-560-1
Pages: 160
Price: $5.99

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Aneta Jasper is Ukranian by birth and new to the United States, having recently been adopted. So when her new mother encourages her to enter a contest, she’s willing to try, mostly out of fear of saying no and being sent back. She never actually expects to be a winner and have to team up with three other girls as junior event planners.

But Aneta soon finds herself happily working on their group’s big event – the Bassett Waddle. They not only want to raise money for the animal shelter, but also catch the culprit who tried to drown a Bassett puppy, Wink. And since Aneta has fallen for Wink, her motivation includes figuring out a way to convince her mom to let her adopt him.

Dog Daze is a wonderful book on so many levels. It highlights the feelings Aneta has as an adopted child wondering if her new mom really intends to keep her, along with the isolation of not being familiar with the English language. And it brings four very different girls together to work as a group toward something important. It also touches on the problems of puppy mills and animal abuse. I enjoyed reading this great story, and I look forward to the next installments in the S.A.V.E. Squad series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, dogs

The Story of Boo

Bergers Book Reviews

The Story of Boo
Author: Patricia Abrams
Publisher: The Peppertree Press
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 978-1-61493-104-1
Pages: 28
Price: $12.95

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Boo, a black lab beagle mix, has been treated cruelly by his former owner. He is taken to the shelter, where Tami spends time with this lonely, sweet dog who just wants to be loved. Finally, Tami takes Boo home to his forever home with her.

Tami asks Boo if he would like to be a search and rescue dog, and Boo is happy to do this. So Tami brings Boo to school so he can be trained in his important work. They even get to travel by plane for their training.

Many shelter dogs come from abusive homes and require extensive socialization before they can fully trust again. The Story of Boo reminds us that these special dogs can make great pets and even make a contribution to society.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, children, dogs

Mosey’s Field

Bergers Book Reviews

Mosey's Field
Author: Barbara Lockhart
Illustrator: Heather Crow
Publisher: Schiffer Books
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 978-0-7643-4388-9
Pages: 32
Price: $16.99

Schiffer Books
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Mosey the dog has his special napping place in the field. But in the spring, plowing and planting machinery come along and disturb his rest. Soon tall stalks of corn are growing where he used to sleep.

Rabbits dart between the stalks. Following them, Mosey chases down tunnels between the rows of corn, becoming lost in the process. But when he figures out how to get home, he returns to his old napping place, now nicely shaded by corn plants. The corn turns from green to golden, as it dries in the late summer sun. And when it’s harvested, Mosey must once again leave his napping place.

Mosey’s Field shows us a dog on a mission to take his naps. But as part of this tale, the harvest cycle of field corn is explored. Kids not only enjoy reading of Mosey’s antics, but they also get a glimpse of farm life. Beautiful watercolor illustrations accompany this cute story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger