The instant I saw this book, I wanted to read it, which is shameful to admit given my age... The title is quirky and clever, but mostly, I just pray that the author's real name is actually Babette - how fabulous!
The idea of having a dog that studies herbal medicine is an individual take on the current trend towards 'alternative therapies'; having a dog that is also a Dr. is just plain hilarious! And I love the simplicity of Professor Dash Hund, with his herbal garden...
The illustrations are riotously funny and allows the comical character of this book to shine through each and every single page; it benefits from the same wonderfully generous and cheeky humour as The Gooey, Chewy, Rumble, Plop by Steve Alton and Nick Sharratt, and offers helpful little asides like "sap from an aloe vera plant will work wonders [on sunburn]" - which you can guarantee will come in useful on holiday abroad!
A Dose of Dr Dog is a highly original, highly entertaining read. Please someone tell me that this is not a one-hit-wonder - Dr. Dog is a stunningly simple idea and worth every penny!! We need MORE!
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Saturday, 29 September 2007
Faster, Faster, Little Red Train by Benedict Blathwayt (ISBN 978-1-862-30469-7)
This is not the first of the 'Adventures of the Little Red Train' book series, it probably won't be the last, but the fact that someone felt the need to include a free CD read by Richard Briers to pull the punters in, should sound alarm bells... In my lowly opinion, if the story is good the book is worth buying on its own merits - not because of some freebie you get with it.
The illustrations were original and colourful, but perhaps a little too 'busy' for the age group it appears to be catering for. The story is simple and fun, if not a little light on content.
Overall, a book that I would expect to see on the shelves of nurseries around the country. Not offensive, or badly written - just ordinary, which to some is worse than saying it stinks.
The illustrations were original and colourful, but perhaps a little too 'busy' for the age group it appears to be catering for. The story is simple and fun, if not a little light on content.
Overall, a book that I would expect to see on the shelves of nurseries around the country. Not offensive, or badly written - just ordinary, which to some is worse than saying it stinks.
The Loved Dog (The Gentle Way to Teach Your Dog Good Manners) by Tamar Geller with Andrea Cagan (ISBN 978-0-09-192225-2)
I must confess that I allowed myself to be swayed by the PR-hype-type stuff on the book cover and succumbed to the allure of it being 'The New York Times Bestseller' - but for just once I wanted to live like Oprah Winfrey - OK, benefit from some of the training she clearly had from the author for her dogs...
Firstly, can I just say that I adore the title, which sums it up perfectly: If you own a dog, look after dogs, work with dogs or just plain love dogs - this is an absolute MUST READ.
If you want or need to dominate (don't confuse domination with respect or authority) another animal; this book isn't for you. However, if you, like me, want that ever-so-slightly cheesy relationship with your canine (paralleled only by the relationship between Lassie and owner), then you simply have to read this book.
This is not a one off read - you will go back to this time and time again to pick up more tips, figure out where you've gone wrong as well as to satisfy yourself that it's thanks to this book that your beloved friend now actually acts like one (friend, I mean... not just a dog!). It's utterly woof-tastic! Apologies for the pun.
Firstly, can I just say that I adore the title, which sums it up perfectly: If you own a dog, look after dogs, work with dogs or just plain love dogs - this is an absolute MUST READ.
If you want or need to dominate (don't confuse domination with respect or authority) another animal; this book isn't for you. However, if you, like me, want that ever-so-slightly cheesy relationship with your canine (paralleled only by the relationship between Lassie and owner), then you simply have to read this book.
This is not a one off read - you will go back to this time and time again to pick up more tips, figure out where you've gone wrong as well as to satisfy yourself that it's thanks to this book that your beloved friend now actually acts like one (friend, I mean... not just a dog!). It's utterly woof-tastic! Apologies for the pun.
Thursday, 27 September 2007
The Fall of Lucifer (The Chronicles of Brothers - Book 1) by Wendy Alec (ISBN 0-9552377-0-X)
A tale of biblical proportions... no really, this is a reincarnation of the bible, with some artistic addendums of course.
For those who have never read any version of the bible, or by some chance never heard tell of the Christian belief that God created Man and that Lucifer (or you might know him as Satan) went on an all out war against God's latest creation (that being Mankind - i.e. US) - then a) I have no idea what planet you have been on your entire life and b) you'll find this book quite unique... unlike the rest of us who have heard it all before.
Basing the story around the three Archangels, or brothers, is clever and does help draw the reader in... and despite my cynicism, I have to admit that I HAD to read this book from cover to cover. That said, I found it irritating in parts, a little preachy in others and I personally got tired of the over use of bejeweled everything - Heaven is loaded - we get it.
The prologue introduces us to Nick, a twenty-six year old archaeologist who is extraordinarily frail and seems perpetually close to death (I suspended all disbelief whilst reading this book) who finds some treasure - then it launches into a kind of diary of Archangel Gabriel - and it is not until the last couple of pages that Nick reappears... which was disappointing. I think rather than reiterate biblical stories of old testament time (Noah and the great flood feature at one point); I would have preferred the author to concentrate on the year 2017, when Nick finds the treasure and the secret of the origins of sin. Now THAT would be a novel tale. At least we can tell that there is more to come - 'chronicles', 'book 1' kind of give that away...
Whether you see this as fiction or non-fiction depends on your personal beliefs, but I will still hazard a guess that this book will (if it has not done so already) sell in its millions. Something about a scary God and demons fighting over your soul makes compelling reading - no matter how many times the story is regurgitated.
For those who have never read any version of the bible, or by some chance never heard tell of the Christian belief that God created Man and that Lucifer (or you might know him as Satan) went on an all out war against God's latest creation (that being Mankind - i.e. US) - then a) I have no idea what planet you have been on your entire life and b) you'll find this book quite unique... unlike the rest of us who have heard it all before.
Basing the story around the three Archangels, or brothers, is clever and does help draw the reader in... and despite my cynicism, I have to admit that I HAD to read this book from cover to cover. That said, I found it irritating in parts, a little preachy in others and I personally got tired of the over use of bejeweled everything - Heaven is loaded - we get it.
The prologue introduces us to Nick, a twenty-six year old archaeologist who is extraordinarily frail and seems perpetually close to death (I suspended all disbelief whilst reading this book) who finds some treasure - then it launches into a kind of diary of Archangel Gabriel - and it is not until the last couple of pages that Nick reappears... which was disappointing. I think rather than reiterate biblical stories of old testament time (Noah and the great flood feature at one point); I would have preferred the author to concentrate on the year 2017, when Nick finds the treasure and the secret of the origins of sin. Now THAT would be a novel tale. At least we can tell that there is more to come - 'chronicles', 'book 1' kind of give that away...
Whether you see this as fiction or non-fiction depends on your personal beliefs, but I will still hazard a guess that this book will (if it has not done so already) sell in its millions. Something about a scary God and demons fighting over your soul makes compelling reading - no matter how many times the story is regurgitated.
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