‘Dirty Bow Wow’ Squeeky Clean

Dirty Bow Wow

The concept is quite simple: A coffee table book about dogs and their favorite toys. Both authors Cheryl and Jeffrey Katz cover dogs ranging from a full spectrum of various breeds, ages and sizes. Essentially, what makes this work is that each page tells a different story and perspective about the bond between the pet and its toy. My pick goes to Nilou and her tennis ball, which took about two minutes to read. I mention this only because if your work schedule looks anything like Dustin’s or mine, you probably don’t want to sit down and read an entire novel or chapter, for that matter.

This indeed is a page-turner in comparison, literally, because you’re reading a new story, or dog biography, every other page while it is accompanied by a beautiful, full-page picture of the four-legged, furry companion. Better yet, the written part is only a fraction of a page, so even if you’re an incredibly lazy reader, you’re in for treat – imagine reading a single paragraph and you’re done! Awesome. The content is concise with a light, syrupy tone, but from a design perspective, I love this book even more. It’s clean, well-balanced and there’s a nice rhythm to the overall page flow from Rick Hornick’s and Sandy Rivlin’s elegant doggie portraits to the fitting typography. It’s a work of art that will jazz up your coffee table book collection.

Dirty Bow Wow

I have to agree with Mike on the brisk pace of this book–it took about 30 minutes for me to read the entire thing (about half that time was spent looking at the great pictures that accompany each mini-story). In that sense, it really does make the perfect coffee table/bedside table/dentist’s office book. And that, by no means, is a bad thing. It’s an addicting little book that’ll make you appreciate every little quirk your dog possesses.

What really made this book work for me was how the authors were able to bring dogs of every shape, size and background together with one common thread: The “Dirty Bow Wow.”

A Dirty Bow Wow is any object–anything from a grungy old teddy bear to an empty plastic water bottle–that our canine companions simply cannot live without.

After finishing the book, the first thing I thought about was my dog Casper and his Dirty Bow Wow: A grubby, eyeless, earless little stuffed squirrel toy that he takes with him when it’s time for bed.

Who would have guessed that a pair of authors named Katz would be so good at depicting the personalities of dogs?

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