It's About Dogs (by Tony Johnston)

Forty-three poems about forty-three dogs. Dog owners are likely to find their breed, from beagles to Saint Bernards, from bulldogs to mutts. The topics include visiting rest homes, begging for food, fetching the ball, dreaming of glory days, and being an adoptive (dog) mother to kittens. Ted Rand's personality-filled illustrations accompany the words.

Tony Johnston peppers her book with canine quotes from Franz Kafka and William Shakespeare. The author takes readers on a journey from the first dog of the caveman, introduces us to Henry VIII's dogs, tells the story of Mr. Lincoln's doctor's dog, and reveals the long road taken by a dog seeking the holy manger.

From the image of a caveman-days dog lurking near a fire to an adorable pet hiding under a tablecloth, Ted Rand captures the power of the moment in his exuberant watercolor paintings. The Christmas dachshund with his bright red bow and the picture of a dog being an adoptive mother of kittens warms the heart.