"The Dogist" by Elias Weiss Friedman

BOOK TITLE: The Dogist

AUTHOR: Elias Weiss Friedman

YEAR: 2015

GENRE: Picture Book

SUBGENRE: Dog Photography

GRADE: Pass

Aptly subtitled Photographic Encounters with 1,000 Dogs, these precious puppy-duppies are featured in a variety of categories and not just in terms of breed. Some of these categories include ears, toys, heavyweights, smiles, and close-ups to name a few. Every single picture in this book will put a smile on your face and make you say “aww” until the very last page. You’ll wish that you can reach through the pictures and scratch them behind the ears or rub their bellies. These aren’t just cute doggies: they’re photogenic supermodels!

Of all the categories in this book, my favorite has to be the pit bulls, some of which include dogs that were rescued from Michael Vick’s fighting circuit. Seeing these precious creatures in a positive and cuddly light goes a long way in dispelling the aggressive stereotypes surrounding pit bulls. Sure, they’re used for fighting, but they only fight out of loyalty to their owners (and also because their owners are sociopathic jerks). The more awareness we can raise for this breed, the better off they’ll be. It’s especially important because there are cities around the world where pit bulls are banned and will be put to sleep if they’re seen in those territories. We can do better than this, people! We have to!

Another favorite category of mine (though it’s unofficial in this book) is saggy jowled dogs. I always have a soft spot for puppies with saggy jowls, because they remind me of a dog I once had named Maggie, who was a Springer Spaniel/Bassett Hound mix. Wiggling jowls and watching them bounce is the cutest, most heartwarming experience I can imagine. Pit bulls and bulldogs are especially notorious for having extra cheek and they really got my “aww” motor going. And while we’re at it, let’s include floppy ears into that same category as well. They’re not ears; they’re puppy wings! And yes, Maggie had floppy ears too and I always loved to flap them up and down.

There isn’t one bad picture in this whole book. Then again, that’s to be expected when encountering dogs in the real world: every puppy-duppy is special and they all deserve the love that they get. The relationship between human and dog is a therapeutic one that will bring infinite happiness to both sides. Flipping through these well-done photographs makes me believe in the power of doggy love all over again. Does a passing grade sound good to everybody here? I thought so!

"I Am Puppy, Hear Me Yap" by Valerie Shaff (photos) and Roy Blount, Jr. (text)

Remember how during my review of “All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome” I said that a blog about fast reads wouldn’t be complete without picture books? The same is true now that I’m talking about “I Am Puppy, Hear Me Yap”. Each page consists of a cute and cuddly picture of a puppy-duppy along with an equally cute and cuddly poem on the opposite page. These poems and pictures can be about anything from chewing shoes to playing in the dirt to peeing on the bed to pretty much anything man’s best friend is famous for. The poems are clever with their joyful rhymes and childlike antics. But come on, we know why you’re really reading this book: for the sweet and lovable puppy-duppies! You want to see them roll over before you reach through the page and give them a much-needed belly rub! Puppies always seem to like a good petting whether it’s on their bellies, on their butts, behind their ears, or on their saggy jowls. Not only will you want to pet all of the puppies in this book, but you’ll want to take them all home with you. Little baskets of puppies all over the house just rolling around and being animal kids. The only thing these puppies don’t come with is purring muscles in their throats. Purring puppies? Aww! That would be a cuteness overload, as my friends on DeviantART might say. As I write this blog entry, I keep asking myself, what more could I say about this book that I haven’t already? It doesn’t have any plot, obviously. The poems wouldn’t make sense without their respective pictures next to them. I guess the only thing left to say is, go out and buy a copy of this wonderful picture book. You may brush through it in a matter of quick minutes, but as long as you’re in the mood for cuteness, you can read it as many times as you want. Maybe one day the author and photographer will make a calendar out of these wonderful puppy-duppy pictures. Imagine flipping to February and seeing a floppy-eared wiener dog staring you in the face with pretty brown eyes. Wouldn’t that just melt your heart like an ice cream cone? If you didn’t have a valentine by the time February rolled around, then maybe the floppy-eared buddy would be there to comfort you. I’d tell you more, but you might actually die by cuteness, another phrase my DA friends love to use. Hehe!
　

***JOKE OF THE DAY***

Two guys are walking down the street and they see a dog thoroughly licking himself. One of the guys says, “Man, I wish I could do that!” The other guy says, “Shouldn’t you pet him first?”