What do you think?
Rate this book
Dogs As I See Them
A BELOVED CLASSIC FOR DOG LOVERS OF ALL AGES
With a new foreword by Ann Patchett
In the 1930s, Lucy Dawson’s friendly, sympathetic portraits of dogs were so popular with readers of American and British magazines that she agreed to gather them together in a book, Dogs As I See Them.
Now available once again after being out of print for decades, and a complete replication the original 1936 edition, Dogs As I See Them includes all of Dawson’s irresistible graphite and pastel drawings and handwritten notes. Along with her illustrations are her own amusing stories about the conduct of each of her subjects as they posed for her. Her charming reminiscences interpret the character and mood of each dog, and make us friends at once with each and every one in this gallery of endearing portraits. Dogs As I See Them is a remarkable collection dog lovers of all generations will take to their hearts.
With a new foreword by Ann Patchett
In the 1930s, Lucy Dawson’s friendly, sympathetic portraits of dogs were so popular with readers of American and British magazines that she agreed to gather them together in a book, Dogs As I See Them.
Now available once again after being out of print for decades, and a complete replication the original 1936 edition, Dogs As I See Them includes all of Dawson’s irresistible graphite and pastel drawings and handwritten notes. Along with her illustrations are her own amusing stories about the conduct of each of her subjects as they posed for her. Her charming reminiscences interpret the character and mood of each dog, and make us friends at once with each and every one in this gallery of endearing portraits. Dogs As I See Them is a remarkable collection dog lovers of all generations will take to their hearts.
- GenresNonfictionDogsArtAnimals
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
19 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 18, 2016
This is a beautiful book of dog sketches, created by the British illustrator Lucy Dawson. A few pages of drawings are devoted to each dog, along with a short biography.
I heard about this book from the novelist Ann Patchett, who wrote a lovely foreword to this new edition. Dawson's book had been out of print for more than 50 years, and I'm so glad it was resurrected and that I was able to spend a pleasant winter afternoon paging through these sketches. This would make a wonderful gift for any dog lover.
Favorite Quote
[from Ann Patchett's foreword]
"The subjects of Dogs as I See Them... are as timeless and relevant today as they were when Dawson drew them in England in the 1930s. Because while telephones have been improved and travel has been improved, dogs have not been improved. Dogs were perfect to begin with and so have been spared man's insistent impulse to modernize."
I heard about this book from the novelist Ann Patchett, who wrote a lovely foreword to this new edition. Dawson's book had been out of print for more than 50 years, and I'm so glad it was resurrected and that I was able to spend a pleasant winter afternoon paging through these sketches. This would make a wonderful gift for any dog lover.
Favorite Quote
[from Ann Patchett's foreword]
"The subjects of Dogs as I See Them... are as timeless and relevant today as they were when Dawson drew them in England in the 1930s. Because while telephones have been improved and travel has been improved, dogs have not been improved. Dogs were perfect to begin with and so have been spared man's insistent impulse to modernize."
October 25, 2021
The older I get, the more I love dogs. This charming book was out of print for many years. It’s now back in print with a forward by the author Ann Patchett. The dog sketches are captured beautifully. If you love dogs, this book is an absolute joy. If you know someone who loves dogs, this would be a perfect gift.
February 19, 2025
Un bellissimo libro di bozze di diversi cagnolini, ognuno con un' introduzione breve dell'artista (che tra gli altri simpatici compagni, ha ritratto anche il Corgi favorito dalla regina Elisabetta) che racconta la personalità del singolo soggetto. Un piccolo gioiellino🐕
January 5, 2017
This charming, little book has been out of print for years, but rediscovered by Ann Patchett who also writes the forward. Lucy Dawson was a British Illustrator drawing primarily animals in 1936. Every drawing of every dog is gorgeous. She captures the personality of each one and includes a brief note about their studio session! Plus little pencil sketches of her subject in various positions. To think she actually had these dogs sit for her while she drew them is amazing to me. I have a friend who does dog portraits but she takes detailed photos first, then draws and paints from them. Couldn't really get the details in 1936 I guess. I must have the real book on my shelf.
November 6, 2021
I read (Goodreads) Negin's recommendation for this book, and being an appreciator of illustrated books, and, dogs I was really keen to view this book: amazingly my local library had the kindle edition.
This is a wonderful wee book!
The portraits are works of love that were a pleasure to quietly contemplate: Lucy wrote, "Whenever I see a dog, I find as much pleasure in the study of his character as in the study of his appearance and shape."
This is a wonderful wee book!
The portraits are works of love that were a pleasure to quietly contemplate: Lucy wrote, "Whenever I see a dog, I find as much pleasure in the study of his character as in the study of his appearance and shape."
July 28, 2016
As a child, I used to regularly peruse the 1930-something version of this book that was tucked on a bookshelf in the attic of my parents home. I adored those sketches and made up stories about each of the lovely dogs depicted. Imagine my delight when I arrived at Parnassus (Ann Patchett's independent bookstore in Nashville, TN) and saw the familiar brown and blue cover with the sleeping dog sprawled on the front. I was even more delighted when I discovered that Ann Patchett wrote the forward for this re-release! Visiting this bookstore was my big splurge on our road trip (because I am a big fan of Patchett's books) After 500 miles on the road, I was like a kid in a candy store just being there and then to see a flashback to my childhood in the form of a beloved book - well, I was undone! On top of all that magic, I have recently begun keeping a sketchbook and playing with drawing and watercolor. I rarely travel without my own dog (yes, she was there too!). Thanks for indulging my ramble here. I love this book. Perhaps you will too. - Ginn, Home Again in Steamy SC
April 2, 2019
Lovely art book. Ann Patchett's forward adds to the enjoyment of Lucy Dawson's homage to dogs.
January 12, 2019
Ann Patchett championed this reprint when I saw her speak a few years ago. As a dog fan, I agree that Dawson's illustrations perfectly capture the light in the eyes of her canine subjects.
September 17, 2020
I have been "reading" this gorgeous book for a while now. I was very lucky to find a copy which is dated 1936, on Etsy. As soon as I saw it, I knew that I was going to part with my money. The illustrations are worth every penny that I spent.
This is a lovely collection of drawings by Lucy Dawson. In the short foreword to this collection, Dawson states that, "Whenever I see a dog, I find as much pleasure in the study of his character as in the study of his appearance and shape." And this truly does come across in the pictures that she has created of her doggy subjects. Along with each dog presented, Dawson provides a short description of the dog in question. For example, Deena:
"Deena, whose home is in London, prefers to live in Cornwall. She is celebrated for her smile which she always effects when told she is naughty, so that her owners find it difficult to scold her. Certainly a broad smile on a Sealyham is most disarming. In London she dislikes walking (on account of the pavements - I believe Sealyhams' feet are often very tender), but in Cornwall she spends her time out of doors - hunting if given the chance."
From the quality of the illustrations, I can see why Dawson's pictures would be desirable, and why some may be tempted to remove them from a book's covers. But, I couldn't think of anything worse. Whilst them may look good on a wall, having the snippets of information about her canine sitters next to their picture adds something to this book that shouldn't be taken away.
This is a lovely collection of drawings by Lucy Dawson. In the short foreword to this collection, Dawson states that, "Whenever I see a dog, I find as much pleasure in the study of his character as in the study of his appearance and shape." And this truly does come across in the pictures that she has created of her doggy subjects. Along with each dog presented, Dawson provides a short description of the dog in question. For example, Deena:
"Deena, whose home is in London, prefers to live in Cornwall. She is celebrated for her smile which she always effects when told she is naughty, so that her owners find it difficult to scold her. Certainly a broad smile on a Sealyham is most disarming. In London she dislikes walking (on account of the pavements - I believe Sealyhams' feet are often very tender), but in Cornwall she spends her time out of doors - hunting if given the chance."
From the quality of the illustrations, I can see why Dawson's pictures would be desirable, and why some may be tempted to remove them from a book's covers. But, I couldn't think of anything worse. Whilst them may look good on a wall, having the snippets of information about her canine sitters next to their picture adds something to this book that shouldn't be taken away.
November 5, 2020
It was a good read.
July 8, 2021
More drawings than print. Beautiful drawings of dogs, and all different breeds. Very realistic.
December 28, 2021
What beautiful drawings.
February 7, 2017
Such a happy simple book, beautiful art
October 28, 2018
This book features sweet illustrations by excellent artist Lucy Dawson that capture each dog’s personality with vignettes that describe the dog and/or the sitting. I enjoyed the combination of the stories and drawings but the drawings themselves aren’t my taste. What's more, the book is very short, too short in my opinion.
~Find Me Online~
...aka darzy...
Instagram
Twitter
Flickr
Goodreads
Facebook
~Find Me Online~
...aka darzy...
Flickr
Goodreads
June 25, 2016
Delightfully Charming. The spunky dog sketches leapt off the page and straight into my heart.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews