Beloved Dog

by Maira Kalman

Maira Kalman, with wit and great sensitivity, reveals why dogs bring out the best in us Maira Kalman + Dogs = Bliss

Dogs have lessons for us all. In Beloved Dog, renowned artist and author Maira Kalman illuminates our cherished companions as only she can. From the dogs lovingly illustrated in her acclaimed children's books to the real-life pets who inspire her still, Kalman's Beloved Dog is joyful, beautifully illustrated, and, as always, deeply philosophical.

Here is Max Stravinsky, the dog poet of Oh-La-La (Max in Love)-fame, and her own Irish Wheaton Pete (almost named Einstein, until he revealed himself to be "clearly no Einstein"), who also made an appearance in the delightful What Pete Ate: From A to Z. And of course, there is Boganch, Kalman's in-laws' "big black slobbering Hungarian Beast." And that's just the beginning.

With humor and intelligence, Kalman gives voice to the dogs she adores, noting that they are constant reminders that life reveals the best of itself when we live fully in the moment and extend unconditional love. "And it is very true," she writes, "that the most tender, complicated, most generous part of our being blossoms without any effort, when it comes to the love of a dog."



From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Art, Dogs, Nonfiction, Animals, Graphic Novels, Picture Books, Memoir

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2015

About the author

Maira Kalman was born in Tel Aviv and moved to New York with her family at the age of four. She has worked as a designer, author, illustrator and artist for more than thirty years without formal training. Her work is a narrative journal of her life and all its absurdities. She has written and illustrated twelve children's books including Ooh-la-la- Max in Love, What Pete Ate, and Swami on Rye. She often illustrates for The New Yorker magazine, and is well known for her collaboration with Rick Meyerowitz on the NewYorkistan cover in 2001. Recent projects include The Elements of Style (illustrated), and a monthly on-line column entitled Principles of Uncertainty for The New York Times.

She lives in New York and walks a lot.

(http://www.saulgallery.com)

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smitten. I am totally smitten. Dog-lovers unite!

This book is absolutely whimsical and charming and delightful and joyful and has the perfect protagonists: Dogs!

New Yorker illustrator Maira Salman has presented a lovely book showing the human-canine bond that is both lighthearted and beautiful, and well...

I am besotted and smitten. (I know I said that word before, but I can't help myself!)

Having dogs enhances my life. The unconditional love given and received is something I cherish daily. And this book is a reminder of that...so...

I will let the author end my review with her own words:

"And it is very true that the most tender, complicated, most generous part of our being blossoms without any effort, when it comes to the love of a dog."

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

My library keeps putting dog-centric art books on display, and I'm helpless to do anything other than pick them up. I'd probably rate this one higher if my expectations were slightly different. The art style is playful and colorful and bright, and I love how the author talks about how her perception of dogs changed over time. Her paintings do a beautiful job of reflecting this transition from terror to love. Canine facial expressions are expertly captured too, especially the little smirk that parents of mischievous dogs will instantly recognize. However, at some point it just becomes about... other stuff that just features dogs on the periphery. While it remained interesting, and I enjoyed seeing how dogs fit into the picture even when they're not the focus of the scene, I didn't find it quite so compelling.

One of my pet peeves is when a book purports to be about animals, but instead just uses animals as a symbol or accessory. Although I wouldn't say that this book does that, there were a bunch of pages where the dog-ness of dogs seems secondary to some other point being made. Which is fine; it's just not what I was looking for based on the title and cover.

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this with (one of) my beloved dog(s) by my side. Because of course. It is beautiful, but sometimes I felt like I didn't get it, that there was some meaning that only the cultured and chic New Yorkers and Parisians would get, that went over my head. Maybe I was just expecting too much. I liked the paintings of dogs.

All knowledge,
the totality of all questions
and all answers
is contained
in the dog.
-- Franz Kafka

[jessica ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Dog Mom to my amazing Min Pin Felix, how could I walk past this in the bookstore and not pick it up? I obviously couldn’t and ended up reading it with him perched in my lap. The stories were interesting and I loved the artwork, my only main issue is that I was really hoping for more dogs. Instead of being the focal point on most of the pages, they seemed to be hidden or pushed to the side- more dogs is always a great idea!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dear book that I will cherish always, one through which I smiled while teary-eyed. It's the kind of book over which you want to linger, so that you don't miss one detail in Maira Kalman's unique illustrations.

In the first half of the book or so, Kalman tells us how she changed from a person terrified of dogs to one who fell madly in love with her first, a Wheaten Terrier whom she and her family named Pete. Anyone who has ever loved a dog as much as she loved Pete will adore this part of the book, despite its inevitable conclusion.

The rest of the book includes snippets of other works that Kalman has done over the years, all featuring--of course--dogs. Dog lovers will just want to hold the book close in a hug.

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kalman’s illustrations are beautiful! The organization of this book feels a little bit confusing, but the content is lovely. It’s like a jumbled portfolio of her illustrations of dogs over time from different projects. If you love dogs, you will likely enjoy flipping through and seeing Kalman’s vibrant illustrations. It was also nice to see some of her work that I recognized from the New Yorker and other published works. Loving dogs, I couldn’t help but give it a read!

[Elizabeth A · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is no doubt that the author adores dogs, and I think most dog lovers will enjoy this book. I however, was expecting something else. I'm a fan of the author's work, but did not know going in that this was an anthology of sorts - showcasing dogs that have appeared in her previous books. As usual I love the art, but I was not captivated with this one as I usually am with her books.

[Stefanie Onieal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dear friend dropped this book by one of my favorite author/illustrators on our porch a few days after our own beloved dog died. I waited a few weeks to read it not knowing how I’d react. This is such a lovely book full of so many beautiful things to look at and think about.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out good and then got weird.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and different. Most of the pictures contain at least one dog. I think all but the first bit is written by a dog. The artwork is primitive and fun.

[Miglė · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never read anything by the author, so I had no expectations, except dogs - spontaneously picked this book up, because it contained some of the most beautiful dog art I've ever seen.
I liked the general statements about the dogs, accompanying the paintings, but wasn't too touched by the personal story. Text itself was visually beautiful, I can think of so many examples where a great comic / picture book is ruined by introducing generic typed font where it doesn't fit.
In any case, I'd say text is secondary here, and the paintings of dogs with their people take the stage.

[Kipper The Dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

a beautiful dedication to dogs 💖💖

woof woof bark bark!!

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved all the art work of dogs in them. And Maira Kalman’s first dog was a Wheaton. That was what my dog was. ❤️. Some of the text was confusing within the book. I did enjoy Max in Love though. Fun book.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers an interesting reflection on the author's relationship with dogs, including some excerpts from her children's picture book, What Pete Ate from A to Z and her series featuring a dog named Max .

Some of the artwork is far too rudimentary for my taste, but some is quite realistic and captures the spunky nature of her 'beloved dog.'

The narrative is strange in some parts and quite random in others, but I found a few gems that I've shared below.

I discovered this book in the front sitting room of a bed-and-breakfast/cafe while our quite large party of nine waited for a table. Our oldest daughter and I flipped through the pages, commenting on the pictures and sometimes rather odd text.

It was a rather pleasant way to pass the time and it made me all the more appreciative for the dogs (and other pets) I've had the opportunity to love and care for in my life.

interesting quotes:

"When I go out for a walk, there is so much I see that makes me happy to be alive. Breathing. Not Thinking. Observing. I am grateful beyond measure to be part of it all." (p. 7)

"...life reveals the best of itself when we live fully in the moment and extend our unconditional love. And it is very true, that the most tender, uncomplicated, most generous part of our being blossoms, without any effort, when it comes to the love of a dog." (p.)

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, this is a book that quickly devolves – after a very moving opening in which author/illustrator Kalman explains how she came to love dogs after an early life apart from them – into a series of "greatest hits" excerpts from Kalman's earlier works. This is disappointing, since the fragmentary nature of the volume seems to serve more as advertising for the reader to go out and buy those other books than as any unified raison d'être of its own.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Kalman's writing and illustrations. There were some parts of this book that melted me, and nearly broke my heart, but the excepts from her earlier book about "Max" were somewhat fanciful. Though delightful in some ways that didn't work into the rest of the book for me.

Still recommended for those who appreciate Kalman, and are true blue dog lovers.

[Cara Hinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork in this quirky book. It's definitely a book I will read more than once. It sits on my nightstand and I will read any time I need a smile. Lovely art, eccentric poems and a dog named Max, and Pete and several other human like dogs. Lovely book!

[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

As tributes to beloved pets go, this book which features sections of art and text from a number of Kalman's other published works, saddens. It seems as if she had a deadline for a new book and like a harried Rory Gilmore, poached from other papers to fulfill the mandatory page count.

[Relyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Maira Kalman. I love her art and her style of writing. I especially love how she notices, savors, and illuminates the joys of life. This is a book just made for dog lovers.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely. Perhaps the only time a picture book has both made me laugh out loud and brought tears to my eyes. Maira Kalman at her best!

[C.E. G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the beginning of the book, as Maira Kalman talks about how she went from being afraid of dogs to falling madly in love with the dog her family got as her husband died. But then it got a little less dog focused and a little weirder, and my interest waned. I did read the beginning of the book to Garnet, and she seemed somewhat interested.

[Joanne Janssen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for the LPL reading log, category "Picture book for adults." Loved the first half -- tribute to the wonder of dogs, but second half was random assortment of previously published illustrations featuring dogs, and that was less compelling.

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such wonderful artwork about humankind's best friend...

[Emily-kasandra Cliche · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 I'm biased tho cuz I love dog books with my whole dang heart

[Lisastrawberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

really sweet. I love the quotes about dogs and her artwork is top notch, as always. So glad I was able to borrow this from my library.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I were a painter, I would paint like this.

[Alexandre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me like dogs even more

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 5 stars not because it's a perfect book, but there are some perfect parts and those define the book more than the less than perfect bits. As a dog lover there is no way one could not love this book. The art, the sweet stories, the silliness of it are so charming and delightful. I feel a little bit happier ever time I read this book!

[Matthew Kilburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've admired Maira Kalman's work when I have seen it, but haven't owned any of her books until this Christmas when I found this among my presents. Kalman's sensitivity towards her subjects was always evident and it's right that a volume should concentrate on her dogs, now needy, now loving, sometimes furious, often content. The original content which frames the book demonstrates relationship with dogs interwoven with her family background - which treated dogs with suspicion - and her marriage to Tibor Kalman, whose terminal illness led to her acquiring her 'beloved dog' Pete. I wasn't familiar with her series of children's books about the dog poet Max Stravinsky, but now know something of his flight to Paris to be a poet and his subsequent adventures among mondes belle and demi-. as well as many of the other dogs Kalman has depicted, curious, furious, studious or just stupidly happy in an endearing canine way. Pete's connection with death is never far away - prose accompanying the last painting of Pete compares her longing to hear a word from him to 'asking to hear one word from a loved one who has died' - but Kalman's art celebrates life in all its diversity, with dogs enjoying their own careers as well as offering mirrors to human souls.

[Sassafras Patterdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a beautiful book - i had seen coverage of it when it realeased in various dog magazines but then tonight finding it wandering an indie bookshop i fell in love, read 1/3 of it at the shop and of course had to buy the book. this is a book i want to linger over and have the chance to return to. i really appreciated the art- the story(ies) about dogs and their role in in our lives, and this author's journey through connecting with dogs. i especially appreciated the way the words and art flowed together on the page, visually a beautiful book i'm excited to have on my bookshelf