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Dog Lovers Book Club - April 2018

We're really looking forward to the cooler weather this year, hoping our dogs will finally let us stay in bed in the morning to enjoy reading a great book! 

Here's our pick of the new releases this month with lots of choices for dog lovers big and small.

PERFECT IMPERFECTION
Dog Portraits Of Resilience And Love

by Alex Cearns

Meet special little Vegemite with the permanent wink; Bali Pip, the playful pup who lost her fur; Raul, who takes partial paralysis in his stride; and many more, all seen through the lens of award-winning photographer Alex Cearns from Houndstooth Studio.

In this inspiring portrayal of difference, Alex captures the intrinsic beauty and spirit; the sweetness, resilience and strength of 60 perfectly imperfect dogs. They adapt to their unique bodies without complaint, they survive with determination and they live with joy. 


The bond between these endearing dogs and their humans shines through - and sometimes they even save each other. This is a book for anyone who's ever loved a dog... 

Part of the proceeds from sales of 'Perfect Imperfection' will go to the Australian Animal Cancer Foundation to help them find a cure for canine cancer.

Hardcover, 144 pages
Publisher: ABC Books, 19th March 2018


RRP: $24.99 from www.booktopia.com.au   



SECRETS OF THE SNOUT
The Dog's Incredible Nose

by Frank Rosell


Dogs and humans have worked side by side for thousands of years and we’ve come to depend upon our pooches as hunters, protectors, and faithful companions. But when it comes to the extraordinary quality of man’s best friend which we rely on most, the winner is clear—by a nose. 

In Secrets of the Snout, Frank Rosell blends storytelling and science as he sniffs out the myriad ways in which dogs have been trained to employ their incredible olfactory skills, from sussing out cancer and narcotics to locating endangered and invasive species, as well as missing persons (and golf balls).

With 300 million receptors to our mere 5 million, a dog’s nose is estimated to be between 100,000 and 100 million times more sensitive than a human’s. No wonder, then, that our nasally inferior species has sought to unleash the prodigious power of canine shnozzes. Rosell here takes us for a walk with a pack of superhero sniffers including Tutta, a dog with a fine nose for fine wine; the pet-finder pooch AJ; search-and-rescue dog Barry; the hunting dog Balder; the police dogs Rasko and Trixxi; the warfare dog Lisa; the cancer detection dog Jack; Tucker, who scents floating killer whale faeces; and even Elvis, who can smell when you’re ovulating. With each dog, Rosell turns his nose to the evolution of the unique olfactory systems involved, which odours dogs detect, and how they do it.

A celebration of how the canine sense for scents works—and works for us - this book will have dog lovers, trainers, and researchers alike all howling with delight. Exploring this most pointed of canine wonders, Rosell reveals the often surprising ways in which dogs are bettering our world, one nose at a time.

Hardcover, 288 pages
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press, 2nd April 2018

RRP: $54.99 from www.booktopia.com.au


TWO GOOD DOGS
by Susan Wilson 

Susan Wilson, the New York Times bestselling author of One Good Dog delivers another powerful novel of loyalty and love. 

Single mom Skye Mitchell has sunk her last dime into a dream, owning the venerable, if run-down LakeView Hotel in the Berkshire Hills. It's here where she believes she'll give her fourteen-year-old daughter Cody a better life. But being an innkeeper is more challenging than she imagined, and Cody still manages to fall in with the wrong crowd. In addition, Cody is keeping an earth-shattering secret that she's terrified to reveal. The once loving, open girl has now become completely withdrawn, and Skye is both desperate and helpless to reach her. 

When Adam March and his pit bull Chance check into the hotel, it becomes the first of many visits. Here in these peaceful mountains he finds an unexpected relief from his recent bereavement. He and the beleaguered innkeeper form a tentative friendship. Adam knows the struggles of raising a difficult teenager and Skye understands loneliness.

And then there is Mingo, a street kid with a pit bull dog of his own. When Cody discovers an overdosed Mingo, Adam takes the boy's dog not just for safekeeping, but to foster and then rehome. But the dog isn't the only one who needs saving. A makeshift family begins to form as four lost people learn to trust and rely on each other, with the help of two good dogs.

Paperback, 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 6th March 2018

RRP: $31.99 from www.booktopia.com.au 


LYLY: ONE IN A MILLION!

A Miracle of Survival

by Laura Hamilton

Lily: One in a Million is the inspiring story of Lily, a puppy born with a rare disability. Lily was only four minutes old, nursing at her mother’s side, when already milk was pouring out of her nose and mouth, soaking her and everything around her. She received so little nourishment she wasn’t thriving, and within weeks she had a respiratory infection. Euthanasia was compassionately suggested to spare her further distress - even if she lived at all. Against all the odds, however, her owner decided that this sweet little puppy should have a chance at life.

Laura weaned Lily early, letting her lick puppy mousse from her fingertip. A month later, she was hand-feeding Lily pieces of water-soaked puppy kibble one at a time during frequent feeds, but still the puppy choked with almost every swallow. Eventually, Lily was diagnosed with a swallowing disability ... extremely rare... and incurable. Amazingly, Lily has survived against the odds due to the creative and intensive management of her condition. Her story may give hope to others, and inspire them not to give up their animals who may have life-threatening conditions.

Lily even became a Pets As Therapy dog, and helps in schools and residential care homes - she truly is a working miracle.

Paperback, 80 pages
Publisher: Hubble & Hattie, 15 March 2018

RRP: $23.99 at www.booktopia.com.au    

Book Club – Kids’ Corner

LOVEABLE LOTTIE AND THE LOST TOY 

by Asia Upward

This children’s picture book features the gorgeous real-life Maremma puppy Lottie—the same dog breed as seen in Oddball the movie. 

Through stunning photography, the hardback picture book introduces Lottie in a beautiful setting with her ‘lost’ toy somewhere in the scene—chronicling a Monday through Sunday search for the adorable red and white stripped monkey with a little ‘Eye Spy’ meets ‘Where’s Wally’ theme.

Lovable Lottie and the Lost Toy is a perfect book for children developing their language or learning to read, as it is both interactive and encourages a level of concentration and an eyesight test as well. Puppy Lottie, like all the other animals featured, is an absolutely adorable character children will love.


Hardcover, 32 pages
Publisher: New Holland Publishers, 2nd April 2018. 
Available from all good book retailers or online.

RRP: $19.99 from www.booktopia.com.au       


G.I. DOGS
Judy, Prisoner of War

by Laurie Calkhoven

Meet Judy: an English Pointer and member of her Majesty's Royal Navy who served bravely alongside her crew during World War II. When her ship was sunk by the enemy, Judy became the only canine prisoner of war of the Japanese. 

Join Judy on her incredible journey from puppy to soldier to POW as she narrates her story of survival and heroism. This "dog's-eye view" takes readers into the heart of the naval action of WWII and will leave you cheering for Judy and her human companions as they overcome countless obstacles and prove time and again why a dog really is man's best friend.

Paperback, 128 pages
Publisher: Scholastic, 27th March 2018
For Ages: 8 - 12 years old

RRP: $11.99 from www.booktopia.com.au



NEXT DOOR’S DOG HAS A JOB
by Gina Dawson, illustrated by Vivienne Da Silva

The story follows a little boy named Tom as he learns more about the difference between his dog Pepper and the important job of his neighbour’s special service dog Bailey.

Next Door’s Dog Has A Job is both entertaining and educational as it provides age appropriate information for young children, including: how disabilities can be diverse and invisible, how Assistance Dogs come in many shapes and sizes, how Assistance Dogs help people in a variety of ways, and that there is an appropriate code of behavior around a working Assistance Dog.


Hardcover, 32 pages
Publisher: New Holland Publishers, 2nd April 2018. Available from all good book retailers or online.

RRP: $16.99 from www.booktopia.com.au   


MY LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK ABOUT DOGS
by Lori Haskins Houran

Little ones love dogs, and now they can read a Little Golden Book about them!

This lighthearted yet informative book brings to life the wonderful world of dogs. Young children will enjoy the colourful artwork and lively descriptions of all kinds of dogs, from the Great Dane to the tiny Chihuahua

They'll learn that wolves are the ancestors of the dogs we know and love today. A wide variety of dogs are shown, from working dogs such as Golden Retrievers, to mixed breeds.

Little readers will learn interesting facts about puppies, what dogs need to be healthy, and even how to choose a dog that is right for them.

Hardcover, 24 pages
Publisher: Golden Books Pub Co. Inc., 19th March 2018
For Ages: 3+ years old

RRP: $4.99 from www.booktopia.com.au   
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