Over the Counter # 183

What books caught my eye this week as they passed over the library counter and under my scanner? Well this week it's goin' to the dogs....with pictures....

First up was Porch Dogs by Nell Dickerson with a forward by Robert Hicks. I ended up checking this one and taking it home....

From John F. Blair Publishing:

"Porch Dogs combines fine-art portraits of man’s best friend with beautiful architectural documentation of the Southern porch.
Nell Dickerson fondly recalls childhood nights on the sleeping porch of her grandparents’ Mississippi Delta home—the sounds of katydids, cicadas, and tree frogs, the merciful breeze from the overhead fan. But during the heat of the day, the family sought refuge indoors, leaving the dog to his lonely vigil. “I felt like he understood that the porch was the gateway between inside and outside and that it was his duty to keep sentry there in case someone wanted to pass,” she recalls.

Years later, Dickerson noticed that few new homes had porches, their residents increasingly dependent on air conditioning. “We Southerners used to be social,” she notes. “Now, we risk losing what makes us Southern: porch sitting. But there is hope. Our dogs maintain the tradition.”

Dickerson weaves her passion for historic preservation—first detailed in her 2011 book, Gone: A Photographic Plea for Preservation—into a fun, uplifting photographic collection that perfectly captures a Southern tradition. Dickerson’s incomparable photographs introduce an unforgettable variety of “house dogs,” “yard dogs,” “shop dogs,” “swing dogs,” “bench dogs,” “top dogs,” “under dogs,” and “dock dogs.”  
        
Whether they’re fans of photography or preservation, high art or humble canines, readers won’t be able to keep from smiling at the array of delightful portraits that reflect a former cultural pastime."

And seriously, who could resist Newborn Puppies: Dogs in Their First Three Weeks by Traer Scott.

From Chronicle Books:

"Dog lovers who haven’t raised puppies from birth have missed out on one of the most remarkable and adorable times in a dog’s life. From one to twenty-one days old, puppies undergo great changes, from needing their mothers’ complete care to opening their eyes and ears to the outside world, growing, stretching their legs, and learning to become the dogs that they are. Author/photographer (and new mother) Traer Scott’s love of dogs shines through these intimate images of a range of breeds and types, from champion pups to shelter strays, all of them irresistible. Including an introduction on puppies’ development and the importance of their welfare, this delightful book reveals young dogs as they embark on the adventures of growing up.

 

Traer Scott is an award winning photographer and the author of several books on dogs. Her photographs have been featured in National Geographic, Life, People, O, and many other publications. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband, daughter and adopted dog."

(Over the Counter is a regular feature at A Bookworm's World. I've sadly come to the realization that I cannot physically read every book that catches my interest as it crosses over my counter at the library. But...I can mention them and maybe one of them will catch your eye as well. See if your local library has them on their shelves!)