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Author: Nicola Jane Swinney, illustrated Romy Blümel
Published: 2022
Price as reviewed: £16.99
Available as hardcover
View now at amazon.co.uk
About 101 Dogs: An Illustrated Compendium of Canines
This delightfully charming little hardback book by Nicola Jane Swinney and illustrated by Romy Blümel is a gorgeous hardback full to the brim with characterful illustrations and entertaining snippets into the world of dogs.
Nicola has worked on Horse&Hound in a number of roles and has been around horses for most of her life. Of course, with horses comes dogs – hunting hounds, gundogs and the rest. Having two Maine Coon cats now, Nicola says if she were to be a dog she would be a golden retriever; blonde, always somewhat dishevelled, and bit daffy and far too interested in food!
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The illustrator, Romy Blümel is German and based in Berlin. She works in paint in a linocut style, drawing on top to add details and create beautiful artwork.
Review
I expected to receive a “spotters guide” type book through the door, but when I opened the package containing 101 Dogs I was pleasantly surprised to see the eye-catching mustard yellow and pink cover with lots of happy little dog faces smiling up at me. I immediately wanted to flick through and see what else it had to offer inside.
The first few pages of the book contain information such as “From wolf to weimaraner” a foreword about the history of dogs. This is followed by a few pages covering groups, details and characteristics, accompanied by informative illustrations. While it doesn’t cover all of the 350 dog breeds, each of the 101 pages has a concise paragraph about the general assumptions of each breed, with a large cartoon (but tasteful) illustration in a linocut style.
There is also further information on life expectancy, height, trainability, grooming, exercise and then two comments on “most likely to say” and “least likely to say”, for example “Sure, come on in…” or “Can someone brush my hair?”, which adds some humour to these vitals. And on the most part I think it’s all very relatable and true!
There is a broad selection of breeds in the book, from the common Labrador Retriever to the lesser known Hamiltonstövare. However, I was surprised not to see a whippet in there. Being an owner of two lovely little hounds I was excited to see how they were portrayed by Romy and what information was included. I did spot one on the back page, though, so all is not lost.
What I like most about 101 Dogs is that it appeals strongly to adults and children alike. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed flicking through and reading about breeds we know and love as well as breeds we’d never heard of. My three-year-old nephew also had a lovely time looking at all the pictures and finding our family dog amongst the pages. I think this book would go nicely on a coffee table, in a nursery or anywhere you might find someone with soft spot for dogs. The information is enough without being overwhelming or boring, and the illustrations make for a charming and enjoyable read.
Verdict
A lovely, charming little book with enough inside to keep you entertained for hours on the sofa with a coffee. It appeals to all ages and is a delight to have on the coffee table, with its expensive looking cover and stylish design.
View now at amazon.co.uk
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