Innocent Heroes by Sigmund Brouwer, 2017

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A unique celebration of the important role animals play in war, and an insightful look at the taking of Vimy Ridge from the perspective of 3 men in a Canadian platoon.

Never before have the stories of animal war heroes been collected in such a special way. This book consists of eight connected fictional stories about a Canadian platoon in WW1. The Storming Normans have help from some very memorable animals: we meet a dog who warns soldiers in the trench of a gas attack, a donkey whose stubbornness saves the day, a cat who saves soldiers from rat bites, and many more. Each story is followed by nonfiction sections that tell the true story of these animals from around the world and of the Canadian soldiers who took Vimy Ridge. Through the friendship that grows between three of these soldiers in particular, we get a close-up look at life in the trenches, the taking of Vimy Ridge, the bonds between soldiers and their animals and what it meant to be Canadian in WW1.

(208 pages)

This was an interesting blend of fiction and truth, interspersing a made-up, animal-centric storyline about men in a Canadian platoon during WWI with real facts about the animals featured in the different chapters.

On one hand, I really loved learning about all those different animals from WWI–and the Canadian platoon they were with, since I barely even knew before now that Canada participated in WWI! But then at times I felt like the way it was done, switching between chapters of fictional stories and then nonfictional explanations, made the narrative feel really disjointed. I kept forgetting who the various people were for quite a long time because I didn't read about them for so long in between chapters.

Also, and I suppose this is just an interesting cultural perspective, there is a lot of emphasis put on the supposed superiority of Canadian military tactics (basically, the generals see their soldiers as equals and give them room to interpret assignments as they wish) over the much more top-down American and British structures. While it does sound like the Canadian system is the one I would like to be in, I really don't know enough about military tactics to know which is ideal; I do, however, know from reading the book that Brouwer is definitely heavily in favor of Canada. And it's actually really interesting to read about WWI and military tactics from such a different angle than I usually do. I mean, let's be honest, there's really not much material out there about the Canadian perspective on most of the big wars.

Basically, it's a good book with a lot of interesting details that gets bogged down at times by the alternating format it's written in. I still liked it, though, and I suspect a lot of other people–especially kids with a passion for army history–will too, If you read it, please be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from a LibraryThing Early Reviewer giveaway.

Loyal by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh, 2017

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on National Geographic 

This treasury features heartwarming photographs and touching stories of dedicated working dogs who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and proven themselves as true heroes.
This special collection of dog stories and photographs features four-legged heroes who have worked side by side with soldiers, searched the wreckage of natural and man-made disasters, changed families' lives through emotional support, and administered aid around the world and at home in the United States. Heart-warming photographs and touching anecdotes bring to life thirty-eight caring canines who have served the people who mean the most to them, from a German Shepherd who leads a blind man on his marathon training mission to a belly rub-loving Sheltie who supports at-risk youth in the classroom. For anyone who has experienced the extraordinary affection of a dog, Loyal is a lasting celebration of the joys of canine companionship.

(160 pages)

I love my dog to pieces, but she is so useless.

That's my main takeaway from Loyal. All of these dogs are so loyal, heroic, and dedicated; they spend the best years of their lives entirely devoted to doing their job and improving lives for the humans around them. In the meanwhile, my boxer Daisy has lived a life of luxury surrounded by fluffy pillows and caresses from humans who homeschool and therefore never leave her alone for more than a few hours at a stretch. Don't get me wrong, Daisy is an amazing dog–she never barks, never growls, never steals from the table, and devotes her life to loving us unconditionally–but she's never provided nearly the level of service that some of these dogs have. I actually think she would have made an amazing therapy dog if we'd ever taken the time to go through the training and testing, but it's too late for my old fur-baby now.

But seriously, the stories in here are just incredible. There are dogs that find trapped victims after earthquakes, docs that monitor their human companions and warn them before they start to have a seizure, dogs that spend their days comforting soldiers with horrible PTSD . . . the list goes on and on. The book packs a lot of stories into its 160-word format, each one taking anywhere from a single two-page spread to about four of them to tell its tale. There are gorgeous pictures of each dog, including several different pictures of the ones whose stories take up more pages, and for many of them there's also an insert that gives some basic information about the personality traits of their breed.

It's a very attractive book, too–rectangular, hard-back, with glossy pages. It would make a great coffee table book, or even more perfect for a vet's office waiting room. The short stories are just the right size for a dog lover to flip through and read one or two while they're waiting to take their own dog in for a check-up.

The big emphasis throughout the book is on dogs who nobody wanted, who were on the shelter list to be put down, who were instead rescued and turned into heroes for the community. I think this is amazing, and it's "show, don't tell" approach to pushing shelter dogs would I'm sure be very convincing for anyone who's on the fence about where to get their next dog. My favorite rehabilitation stories, though, were the ones about the prison programs some counties run: they adopt dogs off of the kill lists at shelters and have the prison inmates train them into model house pets and even service dogs. That's such an amazing way to provide a second chance for the dogs as well as a sense of purpose and inspiration for the inmates, isn't it? I think all prisons should have a program like that!

Basically, this book is exactly what it promises to be: a heartwarming book about dogs whose love for humans makes the world a better place. If you think that sounds like what you're looking for, then I definitely recommend it!

Disclaimer: This is an Amazon affiliate link, and I received a complimentary copy of this novel for the purpose of participating in a TLC Book Tour.

The Secret Language of Dogs by Victoria Stilwell, 2016

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World-renowned trainer and star of Animal Planet's It's Me or the Dog Victoria Stilwell reveals the secret language of dogs, allowing owners to recognize what their dogs are trying to say, then effectively communicate and change their dogs' behavior for a better-behaved and happier pooch.

Victoria Stilwell is a well-loved and trusted name in America's pet media, winning over audiences with her SuperNanny-like British mannerisms on her Animal Planet show, It's Me or the Dog. In this book, Stilwell uses the latest research on canine language and behavior to reveal what your dog is really thinking--and saying--through its body language, expressions, and actions. Unlike other guides to understanding how dogs think, Stilwell takes it a step further, providing training tips for changing your dog's behavior--as well as tips on communicating back to your dog. Filled with adorable full-color photographs and instructive line drawings, this insightful guide will make you a bona fide "dog whisperer."

(151 pages)

Okay, just for starters: before I requested my copy of The Secret Language of Dogs, I'd never heard of its author Victoria Stilwell. Apparently she's some sort of animal trainer/dog whisperer, but I don't watch much TV in general (and definitely no reality TV) so I've never seen It's Me or the Dog. My dog-training days are pretty much over, at least for now, since the only dog we have is a beautifully-behaved Boxer. She's never growled in her entire life, she doesn't bite even when I shove a pill down her throat, and she's an angel with children. In short, she's perfect! Also, she's crazy-intelligent: it's like she can read minds, that's how well she can know when we're talking about her or follow random commands that I give her but never taught her.

Sorry, I think I got off on a tangent talking about my dog. Focus, Jaina! Let's talk about the book. It's divided up into two parts, "The Secret Inner Experience of Dogs" and "The Secret Meaning of Body and Vocal Languages," both of which are subdivided up into smaller chapters. Nearly every page includes at least one gorgeous full-color picture of a dog (all of whom are at least as cute as that fluffy creature on the cover!) or a pretty pencil drawing of dogs in different positions that illustrate whatever description the text provides. It's a very attractive book, with thick pages and photos that make you want to ignore the text altogether.

As for the content of that text, I thought it was pretty good. I read a ton of dog behavior/training books back when my dog Daisy was a puppy, so I don't think any of the information really blew my mind, but it was presented in a very pleasant and accessible format. The author is very opinionated about the way we should treat dogs (i.e. extremely respectfully), and while I completely agree with her that we need to respect our animal best friends I do think she went a little overboard on that a few times. I got the vibe that she's one of those people who kind of think that dogs are more important than humans.

I do like the emphasis she put on bonding with your dog in order to train it, though, and that she pointed out the way you can use body language to punish your dog more effectively than you ever could by yelling at them. The few times Daisy has gotten in trouble (usually for eating something expensive off the table when we weren't looking), the fastest way I knew to make her feel punished was to put her outside and make a show of glaring at her disappointedly and then turning my back to her. She hated it!

All in all, this is a pretty good book. I'm docking one point from four to three, though, just because of this paragraph:

Interestingly, hand preference could also be linked to learning and emotional issues in people. Approximately 85 percent of people are right-handed, and a preference for using one hand over the other is noticeable in children by about eighteen months of age. Right-handed bias could have evolved because natural selection produced a majority of people with speech and language control in the left brain hemisphere. Because the left hemisphere also controls the movements of the right hand, evolutionary development produced a majority of individuals with a left hemisphere speech/language bias and a right-handed preference to produce written language.

As a third-generation lefty, I can't help but point out how not cool it is to imply that left-handed people are sociologically inferior and probably the left-overs from a natural selection process that weeded the rest of us out. I think it's pretty safe to say that Ms. Stilwell is not left-handed.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through the Blogging for Books program.

Cute Emergency by Tony Heally, 2014

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on Goodreads 

Are you having a bad day? Is life getting you down? Do you wish you could go back to bed? Sounds like you've got a cute emergency on your hands!
With over a million followers, the Cute Emergency Twitter feed brings sunshine into people's lives every day. Cute Emergency is dedicated to trawling the internet and rooting out the sweetest animal photos in existence: from sleeping kittens, to tiny piglets, to heart-melting puppies. Now, for the first time, this charming book gathers together the very best of its collection.
It's guaranteed - there's an animal picture within these pages to thaw even the frostiest of hearts.

(176 pages)


I'm sure you're wondering why I'm reviewing a book with a grand total of about fifty words in the entire thing. Well, you may know from reading this blog that I recently moved cross-country (and that my dominant wrist is back in a splint - yippee). The first week or so of moving in, Cute Emergency became available for request on the review site Blogging for Books. It offered me pictures of baby animals to cure my stress, and - can you blame me? - I requested it right away. I honestly can't say I'm sorry I did: it was a great stress reliever not only for me, but also for all three of my siblings (who took turns stealing it and leaving it random places - it took me a month just to get my hands back on the book again!).

And oh, gosh, this book is so adorable! After sitting down and reading it cover to cover a few minutes ago, my lips are still perking up into a smile even as I type this review. It's a fact that I just can't see that many adorable animals without flipping out. I don't know if many people can.

The book is divided into five chapters, or "emergency levels," labelled from "Low" to "Extreme." Reading through the book cover to cover, there actually really is a noticeable increase in cuteness from section to section; in the first one or two chapters I was thinking "this is nice, but nothing special," but by the end I was smiling and laughing so much I almost choked trying not to laugh out loud. I think it's pretty cool that there really are different "cuteness intensities" in the different chapters. There are a few captions that don't really match the picture very well or aren't very funny, but most of them are great and turn a cute picture into a hilarious one.

If you like cute pictures of animals, then this book is definitely for you - and if you know someone who loves cute animals, then I just found you the perfect present for them. A 176-page book not enough for your fluffy-animal needs? Then check out the Cute Emergency Twitter account here. I used to follow them myself, before Cute Emergency was ever a book. The pictures, I can attest to firsthand, are adorable, though there sure are a lot of them. Only follow the Twitter account if you're prepared for cute-animal overload!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.