Books on Animals
Fiction and biography relating to dogs
If you want to buy a book, clicking on the book cover will take you directly to that book on the Amazon.co.uk web site.
See also:
Dogs:
General
Dogs:
Books on single breeds
Dogs:
Origins, canine evolution and wolves
Dogs: Behaviour
Dogs: Training
Dogs:
Health and Nutrition
Dogs:
Breeding and kennel management
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
Nop's Hope
Donald McCaig has a great deal of experience of border collies, one of his passions. This story deals with bereavement and communication between human and dog. It works on a number of levels, both for people interested in dogs, and people interested in people. It also gives great first-hand understanding of the world of sheepdog trials McCaig is a very gifted writer who can leave you feeling happier and wiser after you have read one of his books.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
The Loop
From the author of 'The Horse Whisperer', this is not 'great literature', but it is a good read, the kind of book you can relax and unwind with. The story focuses on a biologist studying wolves, and her relationship with the people in a small Montana community where wolves are not always welcome. She develops a romance with the son of a rancher. Meanwhile, there's a dog, Buzz, who appears as more of a character than the individual wolves. This is just as well, because few of the wolves we meet survive to the end of the story.
This is a story which would make a great movie. Some of the scenes seem to have been written with an eye to the cinema, such as the one where the biologist's cabin door is open, with opera music playing into the wild night. Two of the wolves, a younger and an older wolf are also conveniently very dark, and one wolf is very light coloured, so you could more easily tell which is which in a movie. You can almost find yourself casting the characters as you read, which adds to the entertainment. There are still unanswered questions about the relationship between wolves and humans, though this book goes a long way in exploring how the two can coexist.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
Travels with Boogie
Mark Wallington lived in London, England, when he decided to go on a trek round the south west of England, taking a friend's dog, Boogie, with him. The result was 'Five Hundred Mile Walkies', one of the two books in this edition, the other being 'Boogie Up the River'. Anyone who likes Bill Bryson and dogs is likely to enjoy this book, which is very funny. It's also useful for anyone thinking of undertaking similar adventures - Mark Wallington gives a hilarious account of the privations of his first nights, when he hadn't quite come to grips with camping skills. Some chapters are best read in the comfort of a centrally heated home.
Boogie obviously has his companion well-trained, he is fed first, and gets to fart in the tent at night. Gwen Bailey would not approve! By the time we get to the second book, Boogie is owned by the author, who is unable to find a friend or kennel to look after him while he travels up the Thames, such is the dog's reputation. So Boogie embarks on another adventure. Both adults and children will enjoy Boogie's adventures.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
The Dog Who Wouldn't Be
A classic tale of growing up on the Canadian prairies with dog (Mutt) in the 1930s. This autobiography is very funny. The author's parents are affectionately portrayed, both his librarian father, who built a caravan to travel to the prairies, and his long-suffering mother. Older children will enjoy this book, though the vocabulary will stretch them. A good story to read to children, with one adventure a night. It's also a book that adults will enjoy on a different level, not just for the adventures, also for the way that Mowat portrays Canada in the 1930s. This is a 'feel good' book, that makes you feel good about people as well as dogs, and makes you laugh out loud.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
White Fang
Jack London travelled to the Arctic regions of North America at the end of the 19th century, as a young man, and his writing career was based on his adventures and the tales he heard there. 'White Fang' is the story of an Arctic wolf-dog, with a wolf for a father, and a wolf-dog hybrid for a mother. White Fang grew up with a Native American tribe, and then fell into the hands of a brutal white owner. He was rescued, and treated with kindness by his new owner, whom he grew to love.
Children will enjoy this book. There may be tears as White Fang passes through his trials and tribulations, but it ends happily. The story can also gives a glimpse into the past. We are taken back to the 1890s, and see life in the Arctic as it was then, through London's eyes.
The story of White Fang is a good yarn, with a satisfyingly happy ending,
but it should come with a health warning 'don't try this at home'! Keeping
wolf hybrids has become fashionable, and 'White Fang' is one of the romantic
stories which has encouraged this trend. Many dogs that are part-wolf
are very difficult to train, becoming unmanageable when they reach maturity.
Dogs have been bred for temperament, as well as looks, over thousands
of years, so are much less likely to bite and more likely to obey than
the average wolf. 'White Fang' is not an instruction manual for training
a wolf-hybrid, but it is a classic story, which has been enjoyed by many
generations.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
The Dog Who Spoke With Gods
Diane Jessup is a behaviourist specialising in American Pit Bull Terriers, a breed which is not well known in Britain! She is messianic in her wish to convey her love for this breed, which she sees as seriously misunderstood. 'The Dog Who Spoke With Gods' is the story of a bull terrier who falls into the hands of a research laboratory, and develops a relationship with a researcher, who teaches him tricks. He eventually learns to speak in human language. This is a fascinating tale, which explores dog-human relationships in great depth.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
A New Leash on Death
The Barker Street Regulars
Susan Conant has written a number of very funny whodunnits for dog lovers, which also provide insights that make dog owners nod with recognition. They feature a strong woman character, as well as two malamutes called Kimi and Rowdy. She deals with a range of topics that interest dog owners, such as how dogs communicate, and the usage of pet therapy, while at the same time keeping you on tenterhooks as to what will happen next in the murder mystery. 'A New Leash on Death' is the first in the Holly Winter series, and 'The Barker Street Regulars' is probably the best in this series.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
Winterdance
Gary Paulsen is a respected children's author, who has written this autobiographical account for adults. He travelled in a sled dog race across Alaska, with no experience and little preparation. His account of his experiences is both hair-raising and funny. This is a book for people who fear there are no adventures left in the world!
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
Citizen Dog
This is a cartoon strip collection, which will appeal to dog lovers who also like cartoons featuring Dilbert, and Calvin and Hobbes. The main characters are Fergus the dog, and Mel, his owner. Their adventures through life are recorded, as are their reflections on watching TV and eating together. This is a modern story of buddies facing a changed world they don't always feel at home in. You don't have to be a dog lover to enjoy 'Citizen Dog', but it helps!
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
Where the Red Fern Grows
An American classic, an autobiographical account, written in the Depression, about a boy in the Ozarks, who saves up enough money to buy himself a pair of coonhounds. It's a gripping story, with a lot of adventures. Young readers should be warned that the dogs do die in the end, and they may need a box of tissues. But the dogs' death isn't the end of the story, as readers will find out. It's quite a long book, but enthralling enough to keep the attention of young readers from about nine-years-old upwards.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
Old Yeller
This is another gripping tale from America, this time it's set in frontier Texas. A boy is left to manage a farm on his own, and he is adopted by a dog. Boy and dog make friends and help each other, and have a lot of adventures, until a man turns up, claiming to be the dog's former owner. I won't tell you what happens next, except to say that the book is both funny and sad, and is a book you will want to read again! Children from about nine-years-old upwards will enjoy reading this book.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
A Dog Called Kitty
A powerful story for older children to read on their own, say from nine-years-old upwards. This is the tale of a small boy who is very frightened of dogs after being bitten by a dog with rabies. He is adopted by a starving pup called Kitty, and at first wants nothing to do with him, but the boy gradually overcomes his fears and realises that the pup needs him. This is a fable with a strong message about the power of love. It is a very moving story, which will appeal even to young people who aren't very keen on reading.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
Akiak: A Tale from the Iditarod
In the tradition of 'White Fang', a book of the Arctic dog, set in a harsh, unforgiving landscape, yet the tale is warm-hearted enough to become a favourite with children, both as a bed-time story, and as a book that they can read themselves. The story is beautifully illustrated, which will help to retain the interest of young readers, say, from four-years-old upwards, and parents will find this an interesting book to read to their children.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
Boodil My Dog
This is an award-winning children's book, originally written in Swedish, with a text that's simple enough for younger children to read themselves. The quirky illustrations of Boodil, a dog with character, will help them to keep going. It's likely to become a favourite of any child who reads it, and is funny enough for adults to be able to enjoy repeated readings on command. Boodil is not quite the wonder dog her owner believes, but she has great charm. Children and adults will enjoy the humour that arises from the mismatch between Boodil's view of the world, and that of her owner.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
The Digging-est Dog
This is a fun story for younger children to read by themselves. It's the tale of a dog rescued from a pet shop, and taken to live on a farm. It should be paradise, but the dog worries because his new young master wants him to dig, and he doesn't know how. So he learns...and I won't tell you what happens next, except to say that it all comes out right in the end! There is a moral here...but children will be too absorbed in the story to mind. Eric Gurney's illustrations are especially appropriate - he has always been adept at capturing the daftness of dogs.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
I Wish I Were a Dog
Lydia Monks' award-winning story for younger children about a grumpy cat that wants to be a dog. The message is that grass is always greener...for there are disadvantages to being a dog that the cat comes to realise. Young children will enjoy having this book read to them, and will have fun using it to learn to read, while parents will enjoy reading it. This is also an inexpensive edition.
Click on the cover above
to go to this book
at Amazon.co.uk
Canine Capers: Over 350 Jokes to Make Your Tail Wag
Jokes & anecdotes that'll make you laugh, cry & kick yourself,
or just want to hug your dog!
This fun little book will make an idea christmas stocking filler for dog
lovers of all ages.