The Book of Dog Poems

by Ana Sampson (Editor), Sarah Maycock (Illustrator)

The truth I do not stretch or shove
When I state that the dog is full of love.
I've also found, by actual test,
A wet dog is the lovingest.
'The Dog' by Ogden Nash

The relationship between us humans and our dogs has inspired many of the world's greatest poets. Sometimes funny, sometimes moving, the poems in this beautifully illustrated anthology are a true celebration of the faithful, affectionate, delightful dog. The perfect gift for dog lovers.

Genres: Poetry, Dogs, Animals, Nonfiction

128 pages, Hardcover

Published September 7, 2021

About the author

Ana grew up in Kent. She studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield and gained a BA and MA before starting a career in publishing PR. Ana has contributed articles to various publications including Writers’ Market UK, The Book Club Bible (Michael O’Mara, 2007), Cringe and The Bookseller. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud: And Other Poems You Half-Remember From School, her first anthology of well-loved poems, was the third bestselling poetry book of 2009. This was followed by Tyger Tyger Burning Bright: Much-Loved Poems You Half-Remember, Poems to Learn by Heart, Green and Pleasant Land: Best-Loved Poems of the British Countryside and Best-Loved Poems: A Treasury of Verse. She has appeared on television and radio discussing books, book clubs, teenage diaries and poetry. Ana lives in Surrey with her husband, two daughters and two demanding cats.

Reviews

[Ruth Paarmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The highlight is the playful watercolors of dogs throughout.

[Pam S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly love this book for the wonderful watercolor illustrations.

[Kinsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Bring me the wobbly, the scabby, the beaten,
the oldies, the lost, the could-have-been-eaten,
the wayward, the strays, the nightmares to tame,
the cringers, the timid, the ones with no name,
the mangy, the lousy, the missing-one-leg,
the dirty, the stinky, the too-tired-to-beg,
the crooked, the toothless, the eartorn, the humped,
the knobbly, the limping, the recently-dumped,
the feral, the fearful, the head- and hand-shy,
the last gasp no-hopers, the ones who might die,
the three-homes-already, the stubborn returners,
the deafened, the sightless, the never-will-learners,
the tucked-in-the-corner, the sodden in pee,
bring me all these ones - please, bring them to me." (pg. 10)

"Two universes mosey down the street
Connected by love and a leash and nothing else." (pg. 70)

"There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?" (pg. 126)

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such good poetry about everyone's best friend.

I loved every second of it, every poem! I marked so many favourites with sticky notes, it's surreal. This Dog Poetry Collection has it all; bad sad ones, funny ones, interesting ones, and good sad ones. And all of them are worth the read!

I highly, highly recommend this poetry collection to absolutely everyone, dog lover or not! It is also a quick read.

I salute Ana Sampson for compiling such good ones, and Sarah Maycock for the stunning illustrations to go with every poem.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll read to your dog. Everything from Shakespeare to a Limerick. Some are about dogs, some just have dogs in them. The illustrations are beautiful. I found myself going back through and just looking at all the dogs. Found this at my library, adding it to my need to buy list.

[Sandra Bunting · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a prize for any dog lover. The illustrations of many different breeds of dog in various settings are gorgeous. The poems are whimsical, serious, and sometimes sad. All deal with the amazing being that is the dog.

[C.R. Eede · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an insightful book of poems. Each was rather touching and was a nice portrayal of different breeds potential thoughts captured on paper. I liked it. Was heartwarming.

[Catherine Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a given to me as a gift and it’s perfect for a dog lover. A really good selection of poets and beautifully illustrated .

[mya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these poems were cute, but most of them were quite boring. My favorite poem was on page 90. Overall the book wasn't great, but wasn't bad either. 3/5 ⭐

[Aubrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute collection of dog poems.

[Fernando Sobral · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly touching.

[Jonas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not much of a poetry reader, but some of these poems capture the essence of my beloved canine companion perfectly!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Top notch illustrations; I like the poems in Mary Oliver’s Dog Songs better though.

[Eva Lopez Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely collections of poems

[Sarah Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each poem is unique, lovely illustrations too! Amazed me that some of the poets were as early as 17th century.