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Dog Lovers Book Club - February 2025






Is the return to the office getting you down after a long summer break? Other than taking your dog on a long walk, a great book provides the best escape from life's stresses... 

Find your next page turner in our February 2025 selection of the Dog Lovers Book Club plus some delightful children's books to encourage kids to read for pleasure.

MORE THAN JUST A DOG
Understanding, loving and living with dogs. An essential guide for humans

by Simon Wooler

This book explores what every dog owner knows – that a dog is never just a dog. They are our companions, best friends, members of the family and for some the most important part of our lives.

Our ability to make meaningful connections with other animal species and their ability to return the favour is, perhaps, never more beautiful than the bond we have with dogs.

Simon Wooler
, trainer to social media’s most famous fearful dog, Sophie from Romania, unlocks the heart of the special relationship we have with dogs. He explores how over millennia, they have inveigled their way into our homes and hearts and evolved to live alongside us. 

He explains how dogs learn (and why they sometimes seem immune to our efforts to train them), how they communicate and what influences the powerful bond they form with their people. He unpacks the problems of fear and reactivity and with insight and humour acts as a guide for all dog lovers navigating life’s changes and challenges.

Demystifying the science of dog behaviour and debunking the sticky myths that all too often can get in the way of understanding, this is a celebration of the joy of life with dogs in all its messy, loveable reality.

Paperback, 320 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 12th February 2025

Price: $26.25. Available for pre-order at www.amazon.com.au

MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE ANIMALS
by Martin Clunes

A remarkable account of the moving and sometimes astonishing ways animals have enriched our lives, from TV personality Martin Clunes.

Inspired by Martin Clunes' own adoption of a former guide dog, Meetings With Remarkable Animals celebrates the fascinating, moving and sometimes astonishing ways animals have enriched our lives. From search and rescue dogs to mine-sniffing rats, and life-saving dolphins to therapy horses and medal-winning cats and pigeons, the stories brought to life will charm, surprise and astonish in equal measure.

Together with his own life-changing encounters with animals around the world, Martin has celebrated the intelligence, loyalty, and companionship of some truly extraordinary creatures whose lives have been entwined with our own. By turns heart-warming, inspiring and always fascinating, Meetings With Remarkable Animals gives us a chance to meet them too.

Paperback,‎ 288 pages
Publisher: ‎Michael Joseph; 1st edition (12 November 2024)

Price: $26.39 from www.amazon.com.au

INSIDE A DOG'S MIND
Penny for your thoughts

by Michelle Holland (Author), Sam Wall (Illustrator)


“Hey baby girl. How do you fancy coming home with me today?” smiles Jo. For a moment, I cannot believe what Jo has just said. Does she really mean it, or did I hear wrong? Am I dreaming? Do I need to pinch myself? I have a hundred different thoughts racing through my head.


This is the story of Penny, a stunning Border Collie from Ireland with a broken past. Through absolutely no fault of her own, Penny is taken away from her Mum and pushed from pillar to post. Failed by those who were supposed to protect her, will she ever find her forever home? Join Penny in her journey of a lifetime.


Paperback, ‎237 pages
Publisher:‎ Independently published, 18 May 2020


RRP: $14.42 from www.amazon.com.au


A DOG'S LUCK

by Liora Barash Morgenstern

People, dogs, and what lies between them.

Ellie, a young woman writing her philosophy dissertation, becomes disrupted by echoes from the past. She follows the voices replaying in her mind to an introspective examination of her childhood and adolescence within her extended family. This intimate inspection of relationships between family members – and the family's dogs – leads her to uncover three generations of the family secrets and the focal points of tension in the family's history.

A Dog’s Luck is a unique, moving and thought-provoking work of literary art that deals with existential issues in a heartfelt, high-tempo and dynamic style. It touches on love, separation and longing, in an expressive, multi-layered language that provokes the readers to reflect upon subtle nuances of their own inner worlds.


Paperback,‎ 226 pages
Publisher: ‎CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 22 January 2017

Price: $18.29 from www.amazon.com.au

ABANDONED
Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs
by Katherine Carver (Author), Francis Battista (Foreword), Deborah Samuel (Afterword)

Striking, emotionally charged, fine art photographs chronicle the lives of approximately 60 once-abandoned dogs, illuminating each one's journey from a shelter or rescue organisation to a loving, permanent home. The "before and after" photographs illustrate the profound benefits of animal adoption for both dogs and humans alike.

Abandoned: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs
is a decade-long project inspired by Carver's own adopted Shetland Sheepdog, Biscuit, who had been abandoned on a rural highway, terrified and malnourished. Biscuit's evolution from a sickly and emaciated shell of a dog to a confident, trusting, and beloved family member positively changed Carver's and her husband's lives forever. This set Carver on her quest to examine the lives of other abandoned dogs, illustrating how dog rescue gave these dogs a second chance with completely new lives.


The photographs capture the salient emotion, spirit, and dignity of each dog, despite their circumstances. From Whippets to Jack Russell Terriers and Saint Bernards to Golden Retrievers, along with many mixed breeds, Carver's book showcases dogs of all breeds, sizes, ages, temperaments, and backgrounds, including written narratives, derived from interviews with shelter and rescue personnel and adopters to provide additional context to each dog's journey.

Carver initially met and photographed each dog shortly after they entered a shelter or rescue organisation, and then again approximately a year after being adopted into a permanent home. The juxtaposition of these two photographs is a powerful testament to the transformative experience of dog rescue and adoption. Carver witnessed abandoned dogs that were given entirely new lives and became integral family members as a result of rescue and adoption.

This book is a tribute to dogs like Robo, Murdock, Mario, and Trucker; it chronicles how dog rescue and adoption enriches not only the lives of the dogs, but how it unequivocally enriches the lives of their human companions as well. Carver hopes this work compels viewers to consider dog rescue and adoption. This book will appeal to dog and animal lovers far and wide.

Hardcover, 250 pages
Publisher: ‎Lantern Publishing and Media, 8 January 2025

Price: $61.20 from www.amazon.com.au

BOOK CLUB - KIDS CORNER

RIPLEY: FIRE STATION FIVE
Dogs with a Purpose

by W Bruce Cameron 

Ripley: Fire Station Five is a new Dogs with a Purpose adventure from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Dog's Purpose, W. Bruce Cameron!

Some dogs were born to lend a helping hand (or paw!).


Ripley, a Border Collie puppy, is one of them. He's smart, fast, and brave. Ben thinks he'll be a perfect fit for his fire station!
To prove himself to the Station Five team, Ripley must learn to run headfirst into danger, assist on daring rescues, and keep victims safe until help arrives.

But there are other ways to save lives. In the aftermath of a devastating house fire, he meets a young girl named Samantha. She shows him that sometimes, rescuing somebody means helping them face their fears.
Does Ripley have what it takes?

Ripley: Fire Station Five is a fun, heart-warming adventure that will introduce young readers to the bravery and hard work of fire rescue dogs.

Paperback,‎ 320 pages
Publisher: ‎Starscape Books, 7 January 2025
For Ages: ‎ 8 - 12 years old

Price: $25.34 from www.booktopia.com.au

LILY LONGNOSE FINDS A HOME
by Emily Norman

A Greyhound puppy is imprisoned by the racing industry. She dreams of having a safe home and a family. After losing every race, her future becomes unclear.


Fortunately, she soon discovers kindness and love, and before long she meets her forever family. She is even given a new name!


Paperback, 36 pages
Publisher: Emily Banks, 22nd August 2023
For Ages: 4 - 11 years old


Price: $24.31 from www.booktopia.com.au

ASLAN AND BENNY
by Jemima Shafei-Ongu, Jade Goodwin (Illustrator)

Aslan is fearless! But when his cousins get a new dog, he doesn't feel so brave. A warm and relatable picture book for anyone who’s ever felt stuck by their worries and needed help to do what matters most to them. 


Aslan has the heart and the name of a lion. He is fearless!
His favourite days are Sundays when the whole family gathers at his yenge’s (aunt) house for a barbecue and he can play with his cousins all day. But when they get a scary dog called Benny, it spoils everything. Will Aslan be able to manage his fears and play with his cousins again?


Hardcover, 32 pages
Publisher: Penguin Australia Pty Ltd, 4th February 2025
For Ages: 4 - 8 years old

RRP: $24.99. Available from all good bookstores and online. For stockists, visit www.penguin.com.au


ARTE'S ANXIETY DISAPPEARS
by Sharon Cameron (Author), Serena Originario (Illustrator)

Kids can do amazing things with the right information. 

Arte’s Anxiety Disappears is an interactive and engaging book. It tackles the topic of anxiety in children in a realistic and relatable way, without oversimplifying or dramatising it. 

The story follows the adventures of Arte and Lulu as they use coping strategies to deal with their worries. They are brave, they face their fears together, support each other and don’t let their worries stop them from having fun! They know that the anxious feeling won’t last forever!

Sharon Cameron is a Registered Counsellor and certified Animal Assisted Therapist. She has extensive experience working with both neurotypical and neuro-diverse children in a variety of settings. She works closely with her co-therapist Artemis (Arte), a Certified Therapy Dog.

Paperback, 28 pages
Publisher: Little Steps Publishing, 1st December 2024‎ 
For Ages : 4 - 8 years old

Price: $13.74 from www.amazon.com.au

DAISY'S DOG DIES
by Caroline Pearcy

The perfect book to help children understand and cope with the death of a pet, offering comfort and guidance as they navigate their feelings.

When Daisy's dog, Bill, dies, she's heartbroken, confused, and overcome by a flood of emotions.


With her friend Ted’s help, Daisy learns that it’s okay to feel sad and angry and miss him too.
Together, they discover comforting ways to remember Bill and celebrate his life, helping Daisy grieve and begin moving forward with hers.

✓ Provides children with strategies and ideas for helping with their own grief.

✓ Helps children understand that death is a natural part of life.

✓ Validates the child’s feelings and shows that it’s normal to experience strong emotions when grieving.

✓ Teaches children about moving forward while still cherishing memories of their pet.

Bestselling author Caroline Pearcy wrote this book just a few months after her dad died.
She hopes to help children understand that it's normal to experience lots of different emotions when grieving and to learn how to live life without someone special they love.

Paperback, 36 pages
Publisher: Chatty Bird Books, 8th November 2024
For Ages: 4 - 8 years old

Price: $20.89 from www.amazon.com.au

MY DOG BRUCE MEETS PENNY VALENTINE
written and illustrated by Rebecca (Becca Blue) Carrigan

This is the second book in the My Dog Bruce Series by author Rebecca Carrigan (Pen name Becca Blue). 

After feeling a little lonely playing by himself, Bruce encounters a new dog with a bad reputation.

Will Bruce make a new friend on this bright sunny day, or continue to play alone?

Join Bruce on this exciting adventure by author Becca Blue, and don't forget to test your knowledge after reading the story with Bruce's skill testing questions in the back of the book! 

Paperback, 26 pages
Publisher: Becca Blue Studios
1st October 2020
For Ages: 2 - 5 years old

RRP: $20.30 from www.booktopia.com.au
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