Book Review: Poetry by Dogs - I Could Chew on This

I Could Chew on This: And Other Poems by Dogs, by Francesco Marciuliano (Chronicle Books, 112 pages, 2013, $12.95)

Who on earth would write a poem about dog breath?

Who on earth would read a poem about dog breath?

Me! I read it and, I must confess, I laughed up a storm savoring the 66 delightful ditties.

Penned by author Francesco Marciuliano who also creates the Sally Forth comic strip found in 800 newspapers, I Could Chew on This follows on the successful heels of I Could Pee on This written by cats.

Bonus: It is also a calendar for 2016 and 2017.

If O. Henry had a Dog, . . .

DogEvals has reviewed other books of dog poems and found them lacking what Chew happily supplies – quirky topics, well-written, and many with O. Henry endings.

I hate to give away the pick of the litter but I want you all to grab this little book and stash it in your briefcase, dog-ear your favorites and reread them on the subway. Favorites like the naming poem: a male Boston puppy wants a strong powerful name but dies of embarrassment when the three-year old girl gets to name him.

Priceless Poetry

None of the dog photos are especially memorable and none of the titles – therein lies the surprise! Understatements that point to priceless poetry.

The little dog poets are quirky like the cover photo of an Aussie mix, with cocked head, on a chair he has just taken a bite out of.

Inside Chapters

With chapters like Inside, Outside, By Your Side, and Heavy Thinking (Heavy Thinking?), and titles like I Lose my Mind When You Leave the House, Hoarding, Bath! Purse Dog, Splash, and Time, I love this book!

I’d love to share my favorite ten poems but I’ll leave you with just this one to whet your appetite:

Outside

Best not to ask

“What is it?”

Until you finish

Rolling in it

Caveat: This book was purchased for review.