Beloved Dog, Maira Kalman

Dogs have lessons for all of us. In *Beloved Dog*, acclaimed artist and author Maira Kalman illuminates our beloved companions as only she can. From the lovingly illustrated dogs in her acclaimed children's books to the real-life pets that still inspire her, Kalman’s *Beloved Dog* is joyful, beautifully illustrated, and, as always, deeply philosophical.

Here is Max Stravinsky, the poet dog of Oh-La-La fame (*Max in Love*), and her own Irish Wheaton Pete (almost named Einstein, until he revealed himself as “clearly not Einstein”), who also made an appearance in the charming *What Pete Ate: From A to Z*. And, of course, there is Boganch, the “big, black, slobbery Hungarian beast” of Kalman’s in-laws. 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 its best self when we live fully in the moment and offer unconditional love. “And it is so true,” she writes, “that the most tender, complicated, and generous part of our being blossoms without any effort when it comes to the love of a dog.”