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Thursday, November 21, 2024

The Smell of Wet Dog and Other Dog Poems and Drawings, by Barney Saltzberg. Neal Porter Books, Holiday House. Penguin Random House. 2024. $25.99 ages 4 and up

 


"The smell of wet dog is not a good smell. 
When a dog is wet it's easy to tell. 
Imagine moose and skunk perfume. 
An odiferous stench, a paint-peeling plume. 
I swear on the tip of my little pinkie. 
The smell of wet dog ... 
Obnoxiously stinky!

This collection of poems that pay homage to dogs will find fans from kids to adults. At times poignant and often humorous, each is sure to appeal to those who have loved or lost a dog, who live with one or more, and who long to give a dog a home. The clear voices belong to owners, and to the dogs themselves. 

The opening poem describes dogs of all types and the love this person has for them. 

"Some dogs sit. 
Some dogs just stand. 
I love dogs the dig doggy holes in the sand. 
It isn't their noses, 
their tails, of their paws. I love dogs just because.
"

Whether the dogs are describing Thanksgiving dinner, its aromas and temptations, their consuming love for fetching a ball, the joy felt when their people return home, or the urge to chase bikes, owners will recognize their dogs in the words penned. For those who have dogs and must deal with their drooling, their constant yipping and yapping, their need for attention, and their lethargy as age sets in, the poems fully express their own many emotions about dog ownership. 

Descriptive and meaningful in poetic form and context, Mr. Saltzberg adds spot illustrations that give life to each canine companion. Readers will love the textured drawings that reflect the colors of fur, the size differences, and the love that shines from every pair of googly eyes.

"It’s hard to sit.
 It’s hard to stay.
Who makes these rules up, anyway?

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