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.”

The perfect gift for any dog lover, this is the story of man's best friend from the canine gods of Ancient Egypt to the heroic mascots of the Second World War. Over the millennia dogs have been hailed as gods, demons, saints, military heroes, even reigning kings – and all the while have been the keen hunters, loyal guards and beloved pets we know today. They feature in Egyptian myth, classical astronomy, medieval romances and early modern portraiture; they took part in the court-life of Imperial China, in early Hollywood film studios and in intrepid expeditions to the North Pole. Featuring the pampered pets of Queen Victoria and Pablo Picasso, popular medieval dog names, regimental mascots of the Napoleonic Wars and tales of canine loyalty through the ages, this beautifully illustrated volume shows how dogs have for millennia been the beloved companions of peasants and princes alike.

Volumes for 1898-1968 include a directory of publishers.