Who likes the smell of wet dogs? Well, probably there are a few diehard canine lovers, but most of us? Nope. And that includes the narrator in the poem of the same named poem as the title of this collection, The Smell of Wet Dog: And Other Dog Poems and Drawings by Barney Saltzberg. But that does not mean there are not things they do love.
And we see the things that are good (and other bad things) in the poems included in this due September 2024 (read via an online reader copy) book. Each one is a fun poem about man’s (and women’s and children’s) best friend. Unless you are a cat person. And yes, there is even a poem about a cat. Well, sort of. But you will have to read to find that out. What I will say is that we read poems about not only the smell of dogs, but their smellers (noses), and their love of their owners, and the things that happen to them and by them. Every page has a short to medium sized poem dealing with the theme of The Dog. There are accompanying illustrations that give a basic look, but fit perfectly with the overall feeling.
Twenty-seven poems that give a nod towards Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky and others, with Saltzberg’s style, unfold on the page. Whether you are a dog lover, love a dog lover, or are simply dog-curious, you can find something to love or at least lick, I mean like. And even if you’re not a big fan of the slobbery pet, you probably will still find something. And on top of it all, if you are so inspired to do so, you can also put pen to paper and scratch a flea …. I mean out a little poem or two!