Here are 100 books that Two Bobbies fans have personally recommended if you like
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Ever since I was a young girl, I always turned to writing to work through anything that was happening in my life, ranging from the first time I experienced loss to my parents’ divorce. I have since published three children’s books on tough topics as I have aimed to provide parents, children, and teachers with tools to discuss loss and change. My most recent book, Goodbye, Gus is specifically about the loss of a pet. My dad died when I was 21, and that was the first death (other than my dogs) that I ever experienced. I was able to experience first-hand the fact that the loss of my pets helped prepare me to cope with grief, and I also learned that we can all focus on what we did have and hang on to those memories forever.
I am recommending Dog Songs as a dog lover and as a poet. Two of my favorite things are dogs and poetry, and Mary Oliver combines the two in her beautiful celebration of the love between humans and dogs. I think this is a great choice when people are grieving, as the magic of the canine/human connection is conveyed in these poems, providing a source of beauty and comfort for the reader. All of her selections emphasize that unique love that we have with our pets, reminding us to enjoy life’s precious moments.
'The popularity of [Dog Songs] feels as inevitable and welcome as a wagging tail upon homecoming' Boston Globe
In Dog Songs, Mary Oliver celebrates the special bond between human and dog, as understood through her connection to the dogs who across the years accompanied her on her daily walks, warmed her home and inspired her work. The poems in Dog Songs begin in the small everyday moments familiar to all dog lovers and become, through her extraordinary vision, meditations on the world and our place in it.
Dog Songs includes visits with old friends, like Oliver's most beloved dog Percy,…
I’m passionate about animals. When I was starting out in my 20s, I worked as a vet tech and a dog trainer and fully intended to make a career in animals. But along the way my other love, art, joined the dance. It’s only natural I’ve found ways to combine my two loves, like, illustrating a veterinarian's advice column for Family Dog magazine, and writing, Don’t Lick the Dog, and Nanny Paws, both inspired by my own beloved dogs.
I have a huge soft spot for old dogs. They’re like stiff, fragile children, needing our extra tender care.
Martha wrote this story remembering her old dog when her daughter was born. Old dog likes to take things slow and is sad how life’s sped up since “the girl” was born. But when the girl starts to walk… Walk?! Old dog and new girl literally find common ground: smelling the grass and rolling in it. They take walks together, nice and slow, discovering and delighting in things together, as old dogs and young children do. It’s love that keeps us going.
When so much of the world is new, you want to go slowly. to stop and enjoy everything; hills to roll down, perfect-sized rocks, trees that seem to whisper their thoughts. It's the same when you're much, much older, and every time 'round the seasons seems precious. Yet the folks in the middle (we know who we are) are always rushing, rushing, rushing. Appointments to make, trains to catch, places to be, FAST.
That's what makes the bond between old dog and the little girl so special. From the time she takes her first steps, old dog finds someone -…
I’m passionate about animals. When I was starting out in my 20s, I worked as a vet tech and a dog trainer and fully intended to make a career in animals. But along the way my other love, art, joined the dance. It’s only natural I’ve found ways to combine my two loves, like, illustrating a veterinarian's advice column for Family Dog magazine, and writing, Don’t Lick the Dog, and Nanny Paws, both inspired by my own beloved dogs.
Adopters of elderly animals are everyday saints. In, My Old Dog, we get to meet some dog saints (including George Clooney), and the sweet oldsters they’ve opened their hearts and homes to. This is a tenderly written book — and I’m not surprised: Laura Coffey has one of the biggest, most generous hearts I’ve ever known. Lori’s photos will make you weep, smile, and go, “Aw.” There’s a poignant foreword by Neko Case, and in the chapter, How You Can Help, wonderful advice from Dr. Marty Becker, and trainer and behaviorist, Mikkel Becker.
“No Dog Should Die Alone" was the attention-grabbing — and heart-stirring — headline of journalist Laura T. Coffey’s TODAY show website story about photographer Lori Fusaro’s work with senior shelter pets. While generally calm, easy, and already house-trained, these animals often represent the highest-risk population at shelters. With gorgeous, joyful photographs and sweet, funny, true tales of “old dogs learning new tricks,” Coffey and Fusaro show that adopting a senior can be even more rewarding than choosing a younger dog. You’ll meet endearing elders like Marnie, the irresistible shih tzu who has posed for selfies with Tina Fey,…
I’m passionate about animals. When I was starting out in my 20s, I worked as a vet tech and a dog trainer and fully intended to make a career in animals. But along the way my other love, art, joined the dance. It’s only natural I’ve found ways to combine my two loves, like, illustrating a veterinarian's advice column for Family Dog magazine, and writing, Don’t Lick the Dog, and Nanny Paws, both inspired by my own beloved dogs.
I love and grieve hard. Sometimes debilitatingly so. When I lost my first cat, Olif, I couldn’t go in my studio for a year. Without my best boy in there with me, just crossing the threshold triggered a kind of PTSD, and I’d buckle under the grief. I finally saw a therapist and got the help I needed to move forward.
Books can help us with our grief too, and Going Home is one that’s helped me. Glancing through it now, I see I’ve opened straight to the chapter, “Guilt.” Yea, that one’s insidious, isn’t it. Katz covers them all: All the thoughts that needle and jab, all the emotions that drown, then drain us. Maybe, Going Home will help you too. Hold it on your lap where your beloved once was. And I will too.
In this invaluable guide and touchstone, New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz addresses the difficult but necessary topic of saying goodbye to a beloved pet. Drawing on personal experiences, stories from fellow pet owners, and philosophical reflections, Katz provides support for those in mourning. By allowing ourselves to grieve honestly and openly, he posits, we can in time celebrate the dogs, cats, and other creatures that have so enriched us. Katz compels us to consider if we gave our pets good lives, if we were their advocates in times of need, and if we used our best judgments in…
I am, first and foremost, a lover of cats and dogs. I have been fascinated by these animals ever since I was a child. Where did they come from? Why are we so strongly bonded to them? What is the future of our relationship? These are questions I have asked myself for decades, and which I finally answer in Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs. I bring to this book not only my lifelong love of these animals, but a deep-thinker’s exploration of history, law, and science.
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most transformative events in our relationship with cats and dogs. This book charts some of the incredible rescues that took place in the aftermath of this epic disaster. Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure, it will inspire those who care about animals to care even more—and perhaps even volunteer themselves.
New York Times Bestselling authors Allen and Linda Anderson interviewed hundreds of volunteers, hurricane survivors, animal welfare organizations, and government officials for their national award-winning book Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster. The result is an uplifting, inspiring, informative book that features the best humanity has to offer when people and animals need our help during a crisis. American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) awarded Rescued with its prestigious Outstanding Book Award. The catalyst for Rescued was the tragic situation during and after the Hurricane Katrina disaster -- thousands refusing to leave without their pets, and animals being viewed by…
I’ve loved cats my whole life, ever since I started to crawl around with our two cats Tabby and Tubby when I was a baby. Cats are cute and beautiful and have so much personality that they get away with all kinds of shenanigans. This makes cats the perfect subject for picture books for children, which is why I wrote my own cat picture book, and why I’m always on the lookout for kids’ books where they’re the star of the show. So many picture books have serious and instructive themes, and while these books are obviously important, sometimes you just want to snuggle up with your little one and have a good laugh.
Another cat with attitude—(wait, don’t all cats have attitude?)—but I especially love this book for the sweet friendship between these two unlikely pals, because my little dog adores my cat in the same way. As well, the illustrations are as pretty, soft, and fuzzy as Princess Puffy Bottom’s...well, bottom.
What's a pampered cat to do now that she has to compete for attention with an ill-mannered puppy? Award-winning author Susin Nielsen delights in this laugh-a-minute twist on the classic sibling rivalry story.
Princess Puffybottom has the perfect life -- her subjects serve her delicious meals, clean up her "delicate matters" and wait on her hand and foot. Life is good . . . until Darryl arrives. Princess Puffybottom thinks he's disgusting, horrid and a true animal. Though she tries everything in her power to banish him (including hypnosis, trickery and even sabotage), it looks like this puppy is here…
I have always been a dog person. Sometimes, I think I am a dog whisperer, as I feel like the dogs in my life have always understood me, just like I understood them. They were often so human-like that I wondered what they did at the house when I was out. So, it didn’t take much of a leap to come up with the idea of “Dudley’s Day at Home,” where Dudley and his best cat pal, Buttercup, enjoy lots of human activities while Sam and his mother are away.
This is a very funny picture book about an obedient dog who is just trying to do the right thing –watching the somewhat unruly cats while the owners are out.
I love the relationship between the cats, who love the dog, and the dog as a responsible “babysitter.” It’s wonderfully written with humor and heart. Fun pictures, too!
Dog can Sit. He can Stay. He can even Dance. But when he's in charge, can he keep the cats in line? All one, two, three, four, five of them?
Illustrated by Caldecott winner, Dan Santat, and packed full of slapstick silliness and utterly earnest charm, Dog will quickly wiggle his way into preschoolers' hearts.
I landed my dream job teaching kindergarten in a Brooklyn public school, but it soon ended thanks to citywide budget cuts. Wanting to continue connecting with children, I made my way into children's book publishing first as an editor, later as a writer. I've now written over 100 books including Dinner at the Panda Palace(PBS StoryTime book);May I Pet Your Dog?(Horn Book Fanfare); Dozens of Dachshunds (Scholastic Book Club selection); the Our Principal series (S&S Quix books); and The Adventures of Allie and Amyseries, written with Magic School Bus author Joanna Cole. I found my new dream job teaching, entertaining, and encouraging children through books.
A Bad Kitty book that's (mostly) about dogs? Count me in! (I write a lot of dog books.) Kitty is in a very, very, very bad mood, and nobody knows why. The ever-slurpy Puppy gives Kitty a big sloppy kiss, which turns out to be a big mistake! Uncle Murray is called in to get Puppy out of the chaos and somehow (you'll have to read the book for the details), Puppy lands in an animal shelter. Laughs, information about dogs and shelters, and a smart surprise ending make this book a great lead-in to the enormously popular Bad Kitty series. (Full disclosure: The word "lousy" is used once. Hopefully that won't dissuade any grown-up from sharing this reader-enticing book.)
Bad Kitty's in a bad mood . . . a very bad mood, and Puppy is not helping.
Enter Uncle Murray, who's tasked with taking care of Puppy for the day, but that's when the trouble begins. When they go on a walk through the park, Uncle Murray almost gets himself arrested while Puppy ends up in the pound, where he meets some very peculiar new pals.
As a painfully shy child, I found friendship, adventure, and ultimately my own voice reading about—and spending time with—animals. Animals felt safer to talk to than people. They didn’t judge, didn’t expect anything from me, and I never had to worry about what to say. They gave me the gift of their presence and time to practice communication—gifts that ultimately led me to obtain a master’s degree in counseling and work as a children’s grief counselor. I’m happy to report that I overcame my extreme shyness. But there's no denying the role that animals have played in my life. By sharing this list I hope to help other kids find that same comfort and inspiration.
The Incredible Journey is the first book I remember staying up past bedtime—with my Strawberry Shortcake flashlight—to read.
It is a timeless story of adventure that highlights the bond between three animals as they struggle to find their way home. A Siamese cat, an old dog, and an energetic retriever have to work together to overcome obstacles and survive dire and dangerous situations.
The Incredible Journey is a wonderful book to help children develop an appreciation for animals, sweep them into an adventure, and help them understand themselves a little better along the way.
Fans of Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, and Shiloh will love this timeless classic about two dogs and a cat that embark on a journey to return to their owner and inspired the movie Homeward Bound.
An inquisitive Labrador retriever, friendly bull terrier, and courageous Siamese cat set out through the Canadian wilderness to find their owner in this truly “incredible” adventure. Instinct tells them that the way home lies to the west and together the three house pets face hunger, the natural elements, and wild forest animals as they make their way home to the family they…
I’m a semi-retired music teacher and grandmother of two. When my kids were little, we would devour books like they were delicious candy, reading our favourites over and over again. I still love reading out loud, using various inflections, accents, and voices for the different characters. I’ve read hundreds of children’s books and the ones I enjoy most have a great message, are fun to read out loud, and also make me laugh. And they must have beautiful, colourful illustrations! My first book is a spoken word piece from my WCMA-nominated CD, Too Much Work To Do. It’s been asking me to dream it into a book for years!
One of the best things about this book is the fabulous illustrations! Bold, bright, and very silly, they totally capture the essence of this very funny story about a little girl who desperately wants a dog. She is overjoyed with the ‘dog’ she gets for her birthday except, he won’t do anything dogs are supposed to do! He won’t come when he’s called, won’t go for walks, doesn’t like other dogs, etc. However, he is very good at climbing trees, (but won’t come down), likes to play in the fish water…doesn’t bark at the mailman, doesn’t have accidents on the floor… maybe that’s because this dog is actually a…cat!
I definitely understand why this book is a five-time award winner!
The differences between cats and dogs have never been funnier! In this hilarious new story from the illustrator of I Don't Want to Be a Frog, a little girl really, really wants a dog . . . but gets a cat instead!
"Look what I got for my birthday! A pet dog!" says a little girl holding a . . . cat? Rocky doesn't listen or obey like all the other dogs. (Because Rocky is a cat.) And Rocky hates her leash and doesn't seem to like other dogs. (Probably because Rocky is a cat.) And rather than play fetch,…
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