A handy, easy-to-read manual, particularly for neophyte pet owners in urban areas, where dog parks are essential for...
A primer about appropriate canine (and human) behavior during public playtime.
The dog park has become the site of much folklore, community policing, and sociological interest in America. In this debut work, Lee readily admits that she’s not an expert on animal training, so she bases her recommendations on many years of active participation and keen observation in the dog park area reserved for larger animals. Much confusion stems from human misperceptions of canine behavior, Lee says, and she seeks to set the record straight. “Each time you go is a new experience, because no two days there are ever alike,” she advises from the outset. “The mix of dogs and people are never the same, and you can never anticipate what might happen.” Although this may strike some new dog owners as somewhat alarming, the author provides general rules and strategies so that readers will feel prepared for all contingencies. Chapters specifically delve into such subjects as “Puppies,” “Children at the Dog Park,” “Neutering,” “Balls and Personal Toys,” “Body Language,” and “Prejudices.” One of the author’s salient recommendations is to take one’s dog for a walk before hitting the park so that the pet expends some excess energy in advance. Lee also urges owners to note and avoid the specific times when professional dog walkers bring large packs, pointing out that it’s virtually impossible for one person to keep tabs on so many dogs and that, logically, they’re more likely to get into trouble under such circumstances. As an added bonus, Lee sometimes adopts the voice of Buster, her 60-pound American Staffordshire terrier mix, to offer a dog’s unique perspective on the matters at hand; she crafts an introduction and conclusion as her pet, as well as one of the middle chapters. Even grizzled dog park veterans who’ve seen it all may appreciate this refresher course, and all dog lovers will enjoy Lee’s anecdotes, which she uses to illustrate specific points. Overall, she writes in a clear, accessible style and approaches her subject matter with humor in the hope that everyone will experience fun and safe adventures.
A handy, easy-to-read manual, particularly for neophyte pet owners in urban areas, where dog parks are essential for exercise and socialization.Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5347-2893-6
Page Count: 82
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Dec. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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