We had a ball reviewing Dirty Wow Wow and Other Love Stories: A Tribute to the Threadbare Companions of Childhood with its whimsical photographs of toys and stuffed animals. Now Cheryl and Jeffrey Katz have followed it up with this wonderful volume on dogs and their special objects of affection. Among the 50 full-color canine portraits are:

  • Amos and Quacking Duck who have shared many adventures over the years;
  • Bliss, a rescued dog who had been abused and now clings to his buddy Orange Horror for security;
  • Circe, a coonhound, and her favorite toy Gorilla;
  • Dexter and Fuzzy Blue who like to sit together looking out the window;
  • Leo who likes to carry T-Bone, a pheasant toy in his mouth;
  • Stanley, a very little dog with Pinkie Lee, a very big plaything.

This humorous and endearing book would be a perfect gift for any dog-lover. It also makes clear that dogs can teach us a lot about the spiritual practice of play.