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Special to the Times

Dog and cat tales for the holidays

By STEVE DALE
Published December 21, 2006

For your animal-loving friends and relatives, here are some books to consider for your holiday gift list. Some of these choices are purely for fun; others are inspirational.

- The Christmas Dog Book, and The Christmas Cat Book, both by Margaret Denk Red Rock Press, 2006; $9.95. These small stocking stuffers depict respectively the history of dog and cat Christmas cards. You'll learn that early Christmas cards with cats always depicted even the cutest kitties outdoors because cats were only starting to be accepted as indoor pets.

- From Baghdad With Love, by Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman with Melinda Roth (Lyons Press, 2006; $22.95). The First Battalion, Third Marine Regiment, from Hawaii goes from house to house in Fallujah, Iraq, sniffing out insurgents. It's a life-and-death assignment carried out by a group of American tough guys nicknamed the Lava Dogs. They hear whimpering and cautiously turn a corner as they follow the sound to its source. They discover a 4-week old, floppy-eared puppy, and an unlikely band of heroes save a dog's life.

- 101 Reasons to Dump Your Man and Get a Cat, by Molly Katz (William Morrow, 2006; $14.95). The author is comedian Molly Katz, who reflects, "(Unlike a man) You never have to see your cat in a Speedo. And your cat won't admit he's wrong either, but at least doesn't keep you up all night trying to prove he's right."

- Dog Biz: A Compendium of Amazing Facts and Anecdotes from the Dog World, by Amanda O'Neill (Barron's Educational Series, 2006; $13.99). This book is filled with unusual facts and oddities. Some examples: In 2003, a 9-year-old girl in India was married to a stray dog in a ritual to ward off an evil spell; and the Australian shepherd really originated in America (not Down Under).

- All the Wild Horses: Preserving the Spirit and Beauty of the World's Wild Horses, by Dayton O. Hyde, photography by Rita Summers and Charles G. Summers Jr. (Voyageur Press, 2006; $40). A gorgeous old-fashioned coffee table book. The author, founder of the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, offers first-hand knowledge as he discusses the complicated issue of saving our wild horses.

- The Dog Ate It: Cooking for Yourself and Your Four-Legged Friends, by Linda West Eckhardt and Barbara Bradley, with Judy Kern (Gotham Books, 2006; $15). Too many table scraps or the wrong scraps aren't good. However, no one said you can't cook meals for your furry family. Some of the recipes here are for people to share with their pups. There's a focus on raw and natural recipes.

Steve Dale welcomes questions/comments from readers. He will answer those of general interest in his column. Write to Steve at Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207. Send e-mail to petworld@aol.com.

[Last modified December 20, 2006, 20:30:07]