The family pet is a much loved member of the family, and no single one of them can ever be replaced. I may only be speaking for myself when I say this, but no dog or cat is ever going to be as adorable as your own.
On the other hand, if you have a much loved furry member of the family you really appreciate the beauty of our four legged friends.
There are those who love dogs, those who love cats and those who love both. There are also a number of other furry four legged friends that people love and welcome into their families.
Regardless of which is your favourite animal we can all appreciate the amazing animal photography that sees some photographers release books dedicated to our furry friends.
This Christmas we have two great selections, one for the dog lovers and one for the feline fans.
Zen Dogs is a book celebrating an amazing range of dogs, all captured in a moment of pure happiness with their eyes closed and not a care in the world.
Interspersed with gorgeous images of dogs, with their name and breed, are pages with inspirational quotes to help remind us of what’s important. There are many profound sayings from a wealth of wise sources from Zen Proverbs, Tolstoy, Cicero, Gandhi and many others. Zen Dogs reminds us of the joy and enrichment dogs can bring to our lives, as well as the pure happiness that can be found in a single moment.
There are eighty gorgeous colour photographs of dogs from a diverse range of breeds, and they all get an eyes wide open shot at the end of the book as well. These photos capture the beauty and the personality of these animals and the love they receive from their human families shines through in their obvious contentment.
For a little something to soothe the soul and lift the spirit Zen Dogs is sure to hit the mark of every dog lover and animal enthusiast.
Zen Dogs is published by Harper Collins and available now from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia, Dymocks and where all good books are sold.
RRP: $24.99
Pounce is a book for the feline fans, and I know of a couple who would adore the images in this book. Seth Casteel is a world renowned photographer and his previous books are Underwater Babies, Underwater Puppies and Underwater Dogs. Now, I’m not a fan of cats but even I know that they aren’t really very fond of water. I’m sure there are some of you who have cats that love a bath or swim but as a whole cats have a pretty strong reputation for disliking water so it’s unlikely Casteel is ever going to have enough images to put together a book titled Underwater Cats or Underwater Kittens.
Cats are also not known for taking to new people or being particularly sociable but kittens on the other hand are still very playful and have boundless energy so they are much more prevalent in this volume than full grown cats.
Pounce brings together more than eighty previously unpublished photos of cats and kittens doing what they are best at, Pouncing.
These adorable kittens are, for the most part, captured mid-flight with their arms outstretched in close-up action style. Even if you aren’t a lover of cats you can’t help but be entranced by the freedom and the joy in these little faces.
Casteel writes a touching introduction about how he came to create this book and ways to help cats, because there are millions of cats around and many of them are strays or in need of rescue.
Big eyes, big smiles and little claws are all over this bright and vibrant book that is sure to make the Christmas morning of any cat lover you know.
Pounce is published by Hachette and available now through Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia, Dymocks and where all good books are sold.
RRP: $29.99
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!