Delightful ( )

Definitely not my thing, but I see why folks like it. ( )

This book is my favorite children's book ever! I have a soft spot for it- we named one of our dogs after the author, Berkeley. The poems about each dog are written so silly that you don't realize how sad it is in reality. When I was younger, I remember loving this book and guessing backstories on each of the featured dogs. It is a great way to bring your attention, or that of a younger kid's, the the realization of the unfair treatment and actions that take place in dog kennels. Its hilarious and detailed pictures, paired with the funny backstories, made me want to keep reading this book! The message of the book is that everyone (or every animal) is going through something, and we should not give up on someone or something because they aren't perfect. After all, nothing is perfect! ( )

Berkeley Breathed has a mind for irony that few can compare with. He is unabashedly brilliant and unexpected. I can't begin to understand where his mind goes just before he returns from nowhere with one of these masterworks in tow. He easily ranks among my favorite writers. I fell for his comic strip, his books, his art in general. Read this and everything else he's written and I'm convinced you'll be better for having done it.

In this particular book, pay special attention to the acknowledgements and "The Secrets of Heidy Strudelberg" as they are worth the time it will take to read them in their uncomfortably small print. ( )

I don't often quote the book jackets for my LibraryThing reviews, but this was a particularly apt description of this book, a companion volume to "Flawed Dogs":

"Flawed Dogs is the annual catalog of the country's most shockingly un-adoptable dogs, collected regularly at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound in Piddleton, Vermont. With the Piddleton Poetry Club providing color commentary on each of the madly imperfect pooches, Berkely Breathed is at the top of his twisted form with his scandalous depictions of these desperate dogs and their original, dissatisfied owners. Here's an invaluable guide for anyone seeking soulful, if not comely, canine companionship." ( )