Description:
Dog lovers, make some room on the bookshelf--you won't be able to resist this utterly adorable photo book of dogs around the country. Jeff Selis's Dog Bless America is the result of his road trip from sea to shining sea, during which he made friends with and snapped a photo of at least one dog in every state. Selis includes the highlight of each pooch's life, whether it's a love of the simple things like tummy tickles or heroic escapades such as rescuing a child lost in the Sierra Madre mountains. The dogs' stories are arranged alphabetically by state, and about a third of the entries include an excerpt from the author's journal that mentions a special high spot of the trip, the town, or his own dog's local experience. Photos of some fairly famous dogs--or dogs belonging to famous people--are here, but most of the book focuses on the lovably average. One pair of pooches from Memphis, appropriately named Rock and Roll, keep the King's dream alive in the evening, when they "pay tribute to him every day just by having their names called for dinner." Franklin, Jesse Ventura's wrinkle-faced pup, is featured for Minnesota, while a touching statue of Shep is pictured for Montana's page. According to locals, Shep's master died in 1936 and his casket rode back East on a train. Shep waited by the station every day for five years, waiting for his master to return. The statue was erected years after his death, which was mourned by hundreds of folks. Dogs like Shep remind us why we love dogs in the first place--their charm, loyalty, and friendship are unsurpassed. --Jill Lightner
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