Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound
by Berkeley Breathed
List Price:
Buy Used: from $0.46 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
(Click here)
Book Summary Information
Author: Berkeley BreathedEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-10-17
ISBN: 0316713597
Number of pages: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Book Reviews of Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound
Book Review: A masterpiece for dog lovers -- and everybody else
Summary: 5 Stars
`Flawed dogs' need love too
Review by Guy P. Harrison, author of 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God
Very few have fancy pedigrees and you won't see any of them in the Westminster Dog Show. Their limbs may not be of ideal proportions and their fur spoiled by a grease spot or two, but they are no less alive and no less in need of love. That's the message of "Flawed Dogs", a wonderful book for all ages by Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Berkley Breathed.
This unique and hilarious book is a treasure that is sure to be a hit with everyone, not just dog lovers. This masterpiece is a mock catalog featuring dogs who are doing time behind bars, hoping for a home. Each dog profiled has an unusual background story. Sadly, something is "wrong" with each one of them so they ended up at the dog pound. The dogs are shown in full Berkeley Breathed glory, with his usual unforgettable style. The art is paired with passionate poetry that is a pitch-perfect. It's not easy to make a reader laugh and cry simultaneously, but this book has the ability to do just that. Because of their "flaws", the dogs face eventual execution--unless some noble human comes along who is able to see beyond their imperfections and recognize some trace of value behind sad and lonely eyes.
"Flawed Dogs" is funny to the level of genius but it also succeeds at delivering a serious message. First you giggle and then you find yourself thinking about how wrong it is for some societies to allow many dogs to reproduce unrestricted to the point where some must be killed long before their time. According to Breathed, about half of all dogs in US shelters are eventually put down. As he points out so well in his book, it's not color, size, shape or behavior that is a dog's fatal flaw. The flaw of not being loved is the only one that matters.
Adults should not be misled by the goofy and colorful illustrations into thinking that this book is for children only. I originally bought this book for my children and, although I have read it to them many times, it has never found its way into their possession. Today it rests safely in one of my personal bookcases, alongside thick philosophy and science books--many of which pale in comparison. Parents should not worry too much about the theme being too disturbing for younger children. Yes, it may raise a few questions about stray dogs seen running the streets, but that would be a good thing, I believe. The more we talk about the problem of "unwanted" dogs (and cats), the more likely we are to do a better job of preventing unnecessary deaths.
Overall, in spite of the serious nature of its underlying theme, "Flawed Dogs" is an upbeat and funny book. Breathed's dogs are unforgettable characters and dog owners probably will recognize a little bit of their dog in a few of them. Breathed is a rare talent and "Flawed Dogs" ranks as one of his best efforts. I've been reading it to my kids for four years and they aren't sick of it yet. That should tell you something.
Other Berkeley Breathed books I highly recommend are: "Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big"; "The Last Basselope: One Ferocious Story"; "Goodnight Opus; and "A Wish for Wings That Work: An Opus Christmas Story".
--Guy P. Harrison, author of
Race and Reality: What Everyone Should Know About Our Biological Diversity
and
50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God
More Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound reviews:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Summary of Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of "Bloom County" comes the annual catalog of the fictional "Last Chance" Dog Pound, riotously depicting imperfect dogs that are available for adoption. Full color.Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and children's picture book author Berkeley Breathed crafts a remarkable, hilarious, and yes, even poignant celebration of "flawed dogs": "The bent and plain,/ The unbalanced bod,/ The imperfect people/ And differently pawed." At the core of this "2004 Catalogue of the Piddleton Dog Pound's Very Available Leftovers" is Heidy Strudelberg, "Garbo, Joan of Arc, and Mother Teresa of the nation's unwanted dogs: a reclusive warrior-saint of poundpups." Breathed reveals how Heidy was ousted from the high-falutin? vanity dog breeding world when she awarded a muddy three-legged street mutt the Westminster Best in Show ribbon. Now, it seems, Heidy has retreated to the Vermont mountains to run the Last Chance Dog Pound, where defective dogs go for one more attempt at getting adopted. The bulk of Flawed Dogs, once you've laughed your way through the introductions and formalities, is a gallery of pathetic pups with accompanying verses. A picture of an extra-long Dachshund startling the dishes right out of her mistress's hands, is captioned thus: "Here?s Sal, it seems no one wants her./ Her ends will stroll off and wander./ A long doggie weenie/ Of noisy linguine/ Sal barks at her butt way down yonder." Dog lovers will be all in a tizzy to get their hands on this crazy, wonderful salute to blemished beagles and faulty foxhounds everywhere. (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter
Dogs Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Dogs Books
Biscuit Loves Father's Dayby Alyssa Satin Capucilli
HarperFestival; Published: 2004-04-13; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.16
Price in other shops:
That'll Do, Mossby Betty Levin
Greenwillow Books; Published: 2002-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.01
Price in other shops:
Marley: A Dog Like No Other. John Groganby John Grogan
HarperCollins Children's Books; Published: 2009-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.02
Price in other shops:
Lord Brocktree: A Tale from Redwallby Brian Jacques
Penguin Group USA; Firebird; Published: 2005-06-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.94
Price in other shops:
White Fang (Puffin Classics)by Jack London
Puffin; Published: 1994-11-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.96
The Call of the Wild (Children's Classics)by Jack London
Penguin Audio; Published: 1997-08-01; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $11.00
No Roses for Harry!by Gene Zion
HarperCollins; Published: 1976-10-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.54
Price in other shops:
Old Yeller CDby Fred Gipson
Caedmon; Published: 2010-01-05; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $13.86
Price in other shops:
How to Talk to Your Dogby Jean Craighead George
HarperCollins; Published: 2003-02-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
Where the Red Fern Grows (Study Guide)by Anthony Heald
Harcourt School; Published: 1989-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.50
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Bigby Berkeley Breathed
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Published: 2000-09-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $73.52
The Last Basselope: One Ferocious Storyby Berke Breathed
Little Brown & Co (Juv); Published: 1992-09; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.74
Opus n' Bill in A Wish for Wings That WorkOpus; Release date: 2007-11-06; DVD
Best price: $6.47
Price in other shops:
A Wish for Wings That Work: An Opus Christmas Storyby Berkeley Breathed
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Published: 1995-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.98
Price in other shops:
Red Ranger Came Callingby Berkeley Breathed
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Published: 1997-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.72
Price in other shops:
Goodnight Opusby Berkeley Breathed
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Published: 1996-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.98
Price in other shops:
Mars Needs Moms!by Berkeley Breathed
Philomel; Philomel; Published: 2007-04-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.49
Price in other shops:
Pete & Picklesby Berkeley Breathed
Philomel; Philomel; Published: 2008-10-16; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.88
Price in other shops:
Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big (Storyopolis Books)by Berkeley Breathed
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Published: 2003-10-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.27
Price in other shops:
Flawed Dogs: The Novel: The Shocking Raid on Westminsterby Berkeley Breathed
Philomel; Published: 2009-09-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.23
Price in other shops: