If you’re reading this with a four-legged family member sprawled in your lap or sitting on your computer keyboard, congratulations! You’re ahead of the pack celebrating National Love Your Pet Day. We’re not entirely sure how this day is different from the other 364 of the year; most of the pets we know are spoiled rotten all year long! But here at Bas Bleu, we think National Love Your Pet Day is a great opportunity for an extra snuggle with your furry friend…and the perfect excuse to peruse a handful of our purr-fect (sorry, we couldn’t resist) animal-centric offerings.
The Inner Life of Animals by Peter Wohlleben
You know your pet understands what you’re saying and can follow along with your (one-sided) conversation. But the non-animal people in your life think you’re nuts. Prove ‘em wrong with this collection of stories and observations, which argues that animals do, in fact, possess the mental capacity for “deep emotion and startling intelligence.”
The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be by Farley Mowat
Confession: This blog writer is 100% a cat person. (Cats rule, dogs drool.) But even I was not proof against Canadian author Farley Mowat’s insightful, poignant, and downright hilarious memoir about his childhood dog, Mutt. If your pet is weird, unpredictable, aggravating…and yet somehow, inexplicably perfect, you need to read this.
When You Love a Cat and When You Love a Dog
Try not to smile—we dare you!—when you leaf through these heartening little books paying homage to our four-legged friends. Choose between cats and dogs…or honor your “blended” household by buying one of each!
Radiant: Farm Animals Up Close and Personal by Traer Scott
If your “backyard” is more along the lines of a “back forty”—or if your love of animals simply extends beyond domestic house pets—you’ll chuckle and coo over the sweet, personality-filled faces of the farm animals in this collection of photographs.
I Hate My Cats (A Love Story) by Davide Cali and illustrated by Anna Pirelli
If this book’s title baffles you, you’re a dog person. But if it makes perfect sense, you’re a cat person whose mood swings between annoyance and affection for your maddening, adorable “roommates.” Fred and Ginger (cats, not dancers) are the stars of this illustrated portrait of how feline shenanigans somehow endear cats to their humans all the more.
The Collective Noun Collection
Calling all word nerds and animal lovers! This collection of tea towels and coasters delivers double the fun: delightfully apropos collective nouns paired with whimsical illustrations of corresponding animals and birds.
The Book of Beasties by Sarah Bamford Seidelmann
Our reviewer called this unique book “one of the all-time oddest” of the “odd little books” we’ve carried over the years…but it’s just so much fun! She says, “This wonderfully unusual book offers so much joy and wisdom for people who share the author’s profound appreciation for all our sister animals on Earth! My husband and I have each always had an animal that particularly speaks to us (me: an ostrich, him: a seahorse) and it was so much fun reading about them together.”
Call of the Cats by Andrew Bloomfield
Most cat lovers devote themselves to housecats who rule the roost and occasionally terrorize the backyard birds. Andrew Bloomfield stumbled upon his life’s passion when he took on the task of caring for a feral cat colony, a tribe of felines who had no interest in being pets, looking cute, or making themselves at home indoors. It’s a fascinating look at the wild side of an animal most of us only know as domesticated.
If My Dog Could Talk by Maia Haag and illustrated by Susan Batori
The ultimate indulgence for dog lovers, this adorable storybook casts your family dog as the star! Personalize the story and illustrations to match your dog’s look, name, and more. Though it’s technically geared towards kids, we think it’s aces for dog parents, too.
Animal Antics All-Occasion Cards
Hedgehogs, foxes, and geese…oh my! Animal lovers won’t be able to resist these cute cards from British illustrator Jemma Banks, a handy cache of snail-mail greetings you can send for birthdays, special occasions, or just to brighten someone’s day.
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