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Title: Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound
ISBN: 0316713597
Author:
Berkeley Breathed
Publicate Date: 2003-10-17
Publish: 2003-10-17
List Price: $18.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $7.50
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $4.87
Amazon Merchant Price: $12.89
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Flawed Dogs
Berkeley Breathed has a wonderful sense of dogs and has produced a funny, poignant book.
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2: A masterpiece for dog lovers -- and everybody else
`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 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God
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3: Great book!
Breathed is such a great writer and he relates so well to children but also to adults. I own quite a few of his books.
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4: My son loves this book
Got this book for my son for Christmas. He wanted to get it at the Missouri Botanical Garden gift shop. I'm glad I made him wait. He really likes it.
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5: So apropos for those who've rescued a dog from a shelter.
Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound
I bought this as a gift for someone at work who recently rescued a dog from the shelter, who wasn't physically perfect. I knew they'd appreciate this book!
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