1 comments about West Highland White Terrier (Comprehensive Owner's Guide).

1. I really love this book. It has everything you need to get to know the Westie breed of dogs and what you need to know in order to own one, how to care for it, its qualities, characteristics. If you are considering getting a Westie, this book would be helpful in makeing that decision. It covered so many areas of information. Very informative. Worth it.

5 comments about The McDuff Stories.

1. As the owner of an adorable Westie puppy, I couldn't resist this book. Even tho' I'm an adult, I enjoyed this book immensely, because of the cute little stories and the incredibly cute Westie drawings. I could be a little biased (that could be my little Katie!), but I think it's the cutest children's book I've ever seen! It's quite obvious the author & artist are Westie owners, and they've put their experiences to good use!



2. The McDuff stories are so much fun. The illustrations are so unique and rich. My 6 year old daughter really loves to read these books. Not only are they about a really adorable dog, but they are fun to read, too. After your second or 3rd McDuff story, you really get attached to this dog! We're on a mission to collect all the McDuff stories, so this is a great book to start with!



3. I love that they've combined 4 of the McDuff stories under one cover. This is a great gift for a child who does not have any McDuff books. The illustrations are gorgeous and right on the mark as far as capturing the Westie personality. My children love the McDuff tales almost as much as they love their own Westie, Auggie.



4. This book is well laid out with glossy pages, beautiful illustrations and a fun and simple text for young children to enjoy. My daughter loves quoting McDuff books and we take pleasure in sharing this series with her.



5. The McDuff stories are GREAT! We have them all. Our Westie (Daisy) gave our children all of the McDuff books for Christmas two years ago ;-) . Our children really enjoy the stories and illustrations. We have a Westie and find the mannerisms of McDuff to be exactly like our Westie. The illustrations are beautiful and really capture the Westie personality. Even if you don't have a Westie the stories are funny and interesting for all children.

5 comments about McDuff's Wild Romp (new design).

1. We own and love all of our McDuff books. Our only disappointment with this new book is that we miss the old McDuff. He is updated and doesn't look the same as the McDuff in the earlier editions. My children noticed right away and they prefer the original McDuff. None the less we still enjoyed the new adventure with the New McDuff.



2. I was so excited to see another title in the McDuff series, a beloved set of books in our house. Unfortunately, Rosemary Wells has not stayed with her original illustrator. One look at the pictures and I didn't even want to buy this book. It's too bad. We'll stick with the 2 sets of the rest of the McDuff books.



3. Once again, Rosemary Wells and illustrator Susan Jeffers take us back to a lovingly recreated New England town of the late 1940's or early 50's. The men wear argyle, bow-ties, and suspenders (no, it's not the go-go 1990's), and the women wear lace, big white collars, and flowered print dresses. They drive big automobiles past neatly shuttered second-story windows, sit on rolled-arm sofas, and have niceties like candy dishes.
   
   The book begins with the adorable canine McDuff finding a Turkey Tidbit under the baby's swing. It's a somewhat confusing opening, as the context is not clear. On the next page, however, the plots unfolds: Fred and Lucy are taking McDuff and the baby to Aunt Frieda's house for Sunday dinner (!). When the baby drops a second Turkey Tidbit under the dinner table (a result of a chain reaction begun when Aunt Frieda's cat, Purlina, hisses at McDuff), McDuff and his inhospitable feline host begin a slow, secretive race to the Tidbit.
   
   "They slunk toward the Turkey Tidbit while the family ate their crab cakes... Just as the family was finishing the salad, McDuff and Purlina reached the Turkey Tidbit...There was a hullaballoo right under the dining room table. Fred jumped to his feet and knocked over the chair..."
   
   As the two animals wrestle for the turkey, lamps, vases, tables, and even the curtains are knocked over! Despite all the work, the dream family of the era pretty much takes it in stride: "'Whatever could have happened to make a quiet, gentle dog and cat behave like wild tigers and bears?' asked Uncle Nate". While the adults appear somewhat naive, the baby isn't. In a clever last scene, the baby "took the last of the Turkey Tidbits and threw it on the floor.." She looks down on McDuff and Purlina eying the treat, and says with a smile: "Again!"
   
   The knock against the newer McDuff books is that the illlustrations are less detailed, and perhaps not as rich-looking. I agree, especially in the pictures of the two animals. In earlier books, you felt like you could practically touch the detailed, textured fur. These newer books have a flatter, more modern feeling that's seems incompatible with the 1940's-50's touches, and is simply not as engaging. Still, there's still enough traditional authenticity in words and pictures for adult readers, and kids will love the action and humor.
   
   I'd still recommend these newer books, but the earlier books realize more completely the enormous appeal of McDuff.



4. I bought this book for my granddaughter. She loves having this read to her and trying to read it herself. She is learning to read and it is easy to read.



5. My four-year-old always wants me to read, then re-read, this particular book in the McDuff series. She loves them all, but this is by far her favorite. She finds McDuff and Perlina's squabbles over the Turkey Tidbits hilarious. Highly recommended if you have a preschool-age dog and cat lover.

4 comments about The Essential West Highland White Terrier (Howell Book House's Essential).

1. As a breeder and lover of West Highland White Terriers, I picked
   this little book to give to each of the families where I place my Westies.
   There are many books out there on Westies and they are all good
   but I wanted the new owners to have something for a quick-read,
   that would equip them with essential facts about this breed of dog for a Westie is like no other dog.
   They are in a class all to themselves.
   
   This book does just that---gives the reader lots of information about the Personality, Homecoming, Health, Nutritious feeding program, Grooming, Breed Standard, History of the Westie, Behavior and Training.

   I recommend this book highly to anyone contemplating getting a Westie. I never tire of reading it again and again and always
   glean something that helps me be a better person with my Westies.

   Someone once said that "without communication, there can be no understanding." After reading this book, your understanding of the West Highland White Terrier will increase and it will proportionately affect your communication with your pet, the little dog that is possessed with no small amount of self-esteem!!
   And you will both understand each other better.




2. This book is a "must read" for those who are new to West Highland Terriers or who are considering buying a Westie. They are a unique breed with their own pecular traits. Learning about them quickly will give you a clear picture of what to expect.
   
   The book seems to be accruate with the possible exception that the Westie's learning curve is not quite as rapid as the book implies. They are an intelligent breed and very affectionate, while headstrong at the same time. Handling them effectively requires some homework on the owner's part.
   
   This book is a good start!



3. What a cute book! How can anyone resist the beautiful and winsome Westie? Well, I suppose someone who hates animals might, but anyhow, aside from crazy people like that, I'd like to say that this book is really good, and the photos are very nice.



4. Like this book, easy to read and full of handy information for getting to know the Westie and understanding the Westie. Will teach you many things on handling and caring for the dog. Easy reading and great photos. Loved it.

5 comments about A New Owner's Guide to West Highland White Terriers (JG Dog).

1. This is a very informative book. Lots of pictures.



2. For someone who know little or nothing about West Highland White Terrier but is considering one, I recommend this book. It's easy reading and the pictures are very good. The author is obviously very positive about the breed, maybe a little too much, but overall it give you a strong start at what to expect when you go looking for one.



3. I found so much information about little things as well as the major things regarding taking care of and training a Westie. Great book!



4. This is an awesome book - it covers everything and more you need if you are a first time Westie owner and the pictures are wonderful. It includes how to choose a puppy to training, grooming, health issues and food. Easy and fast to read. I highly recommend it!



5. I bought this book in order to learn about my new puppy. It is a very helpful guide for a person who has never have a Westy before. The descriptions and narratives are very easy to understand and the author explains in detail every case illustrating them with lots of pictures. Even though you hire a trainer for your puppy, this book helps you prepare for its arrival in advance and keep up with all the basics throughout the training. The book also looks very nice, it comes in hard cover and glossy finished pages.

5 comments about Westies: From Head to Tail.

1. If you are serious about Westies, you absolutely MUST have this book. Faherty has a writing style that's humorous and informative, and she gives the nitty-gritty on the mysterious art of handstripping. No other resource out there gives this much detail. I've taken the plunge and am stripping my own Westie, and Faherty's comprehensive chapter on grooming has been a tremendous help. This book is really geared for Westie connoisseurs, who have an interest in showing their dogs. In addition to the grooming chapter, several sections are devoted to the art of showing your dog as well as breeding. This may be too dense a book for a general pet owner and the more general Westie books may be more appropriate. However, if you are looking for THE resource on Westies, buy this book!



2. This book is an excellent resource to the westie fan. You will get something out of it whether you have had westies for years, or are just deciding on getting one. A lot of detail is covered that is easy to understand. Would recommend to anyone.



3. The book was recieved in fine condition took a little longer than I figured on to arrive. It has been informative filled with great Westy advice. I have delt with many breeds working for a veterinarian, and managing kennels, but the Westy is new to me. It is always good to get expert advice. Dee of NY



4. I've liked a lot this book, because i'ts have good information about de psicology of Westies. The author realy knows how a Westie behaves! I'm using to deal with my too little dames. The photos shows beautiful dogs. Thanks



5. This book was absolutely essential when we whelped out puppies. The mother was a puppymill dog who was pregnant when we rescued her. This book described everything to us, and included everything about westies you would ever want to know.

5 comments about The West Highland White Terrier (Terra Nova Series).

1. I love this book, is a quick guide about the most adorable dog breed.



2. I was totally unfamiliar with the West Highland Terrier breed and I wanted to find a book that could educate me on numerous aspects, including training tips. I was very pleased with the content of this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about West Highland Terriers.



3. If you are a Westie lover, this is a must have. The pictures are adorable and the book has some great information in it no matter what age your Westie.



4. This book is very informative, and has helped us in our search for a breed of dog that we have always wanted.



5. Great information in such a nice hardback book. It's just a book of general information on the westie and how to take care of them. Good for a coffee table too.

5 comments about McDuff and the Baby (new design).

1. These little books are such a joy. The illustrations are so cute, and the stories a endearing. I love reading these to my little guys!



2. Maybe the other reviews were written by people with dogs rather than children, but here is the moral of this story for older siblings who resent a new baby: "Quit eating, and everything will go back to the way it was before the baby was born."
   
   I suppose it's good if you want to raise passive-aggressive children.



3. I love this book, because it reminds me of when my oldest daughter was born, and we had our Welsh Terrier, Niblet. My daughter loves this book because she likes terriers. We're looking forward to reading the rest of the McDuff series. Woof.



4. This book was great! I have a terrier and love how perfectly the authors have captured the personality and looks of the Westie. My baby loves this book, he flips the pages and laughs incessantly at the artwork. Anyone who over-analyzes this book and says that it will make your children "passive-aggressive" has entirely missed the point of the books and shouldn't be reading children's literature. Enjoy McDuff!



5. The McDuff series is famous for both its lovable dogdy hero, and its uncanny re-creation of late 1940's America. From architecture to fashion to cultural mores, author Rosemary Wells' books are superb period pieces. With the irrepressible McDuff at the center, the series has something for adults as well as youngsters.
   
   Unfortunately, many of the original books have been replaced by "new design" versions: The illustrations have fewer details, and the books don't evoke place (small town America--perhaps New England) and time as well. However, this particular "new design" book comes closer to the original versions than some others (e.g., "McDuff's Wild Romp"). One sees more shading and detail in McDuff's fur, for example, and the pictoorial style and color selection do justice to the series.
   
   In "McDuff and the Baby," the comfortably ensconced dog is challenged by the arrival of Fred and Lucy's new baby girl. (When I read those names, I often wonder if Desi and Ethel can be far behind, testimony, perhaps, to the book's nostalgic tone.) Like most babies, this one requires a great deal of attention, and McDuff soon finds that his usual routines must make way for the new addition. No more walks in the animal-scented woods (the stroller cannot negotiate it), no more late evening family radio time (the baby is crying for something), not even Fred--a la Fiorella LaGuardia--reading the comics to him at breakfast. The baby just laughs and McDuff's growls, and, to add injury to insult, she pulls on his beard!
   
   McDuff is so upset that he doesn't eat. He doesn't decide not to eat, he's not manipulative, he's just vey upset. (One reviewer here believes that McDuff' serves as a bad role model for kids trying to deal with sibling rivalry.) In any event, Fred and Lucy realize (finally) that McDuff's loss of appetite might be due to all the changes. They decide to get him back into the woods, read the comics, take the entire family outside to listen to the radio (a wonderful example of compromise and adaptation), and even treat McDuff to "his favorite treat of vanilla rice pudding with sausage slice." Things smooth over very nicely, and there's a very brief but funny exchange that closes the story:
   
   "'Woof,' said McDuff.
   `Woof,' said the baby."
   
   This is an excellent book whether your little one is dealing with new sibs or not. While this is the "new design" version, I think illustrator Jeffers equals (or comes very close to) her earlier work, and the narrative flows easily, with style and humor.
   
   (Note: For an example of what you're missing with the 2006 new design, go to "Look Inside" above, click on "Copyright" and you'll see a beautiful overview of the town, not included in this 2006 version.)

5 comments about McDuff Saves the Day (new design).

1. As with all 'McDuff' stories, this book is very well drawn, and a child could tell it to an adult based on the pictures in the book, after the child had heard the story a few times. It is charmng, friendly telling of a fun family outing. All McDuff books would be good in daycares for story time!



2. This is another fun McDuff book with lovely illustrations and a nice story. The only thing I dislike about this book is that on many of the pages, there are four squares with different illustrations in them per page. I feel that it distracts from the story.



3. The vendor did a great job. I got the book right on time. My only disappointment was with the illustrations. I own many McDuff books and the illustrations in her later books are not as detailed and crisp...something I especially loved about her earlier books.



4. Both my kids have loved the McDuff stories and this is no exception, a cute and charming story that captures the personality of the little dog McDuff. But the illustrations in this book are a disappointment. The baby, for instance, though charmingly rendered in *McDuff and the Baby* and clearly represented as a girl in the text of this and the other McDuff stories in which she appears, is wearing a plaid shirt and overalls (of course girls can wear such things but it seems more to me like the illustrator rushed the job and switched the gender). The images of Lucy and Fred fall flat and fail to capture their personalities, so beautifully rendered in McDuff Moves In, McDuff Comes Home and McDuff and the Baby. The use of four small images per page in many cases, though not in itself a problem, seems to have led to quicker, simpler illustrations that add very little to the story. I still don't know, for example, what a slug-a-bug is, or what a handy-dandy-baby-emergency-travel-kit looks like...charming ideas in the text that are not carried into the illustrations. Jeffers is an excellent illustrator, as seen in her other work, but this project looks like it was rushed.
   
   These complaints, however, are all my own, my kids love this book and all of the McDuff books. It was among my daughter's favorites from ages 2-4 and is now among my son's favorites (he is 2 1/2).



5. We have several McDuff books and love them, however, McDuff Saves The Day has very little action and Jeffers normally fantastic illustrations seem hastily drawn and uninspired.

5 comments about McDuff Moves In (new design).

1. I own this book, as well as others in the series. They are just great! My mom owns a Westie, perfectly named Duffy(he got the name before we new about the books), and the illustrator captures the essence of the Westie. Every picture is perfectly drawn to show the character of a Westie. I love the author as well. I have been a teacher and have always read Ms. Wells' books to my students and the McDuff series is loved by all. McDuff moves in is just a fun book to read and I recommend it to all ages.



2. Dear old Rosemary Wells. If you've ever read her books about that famous bunny Max or classic titles like, "Morris' Disappearing Bag" then you know that her stories, while disjointed, can often be truly charming works of preschool art. So when I discovered the McDuff books (written by her but illustrated by someone else entirely) I was ill at ease. I mean, Wells draws such cute little bunnies. How could anyone else adapt to her words? On reading the first book of the McDuff series, "McDuff Moves In", I was amazed to find myself suddenly on the oposte side of the fence. The pictures in this book are really quite charming. From the cute little Scottie named McDuff to the 1950s setting, visually this story's a charmer. But strange as it may seem, Wells's words are out-of-place here. Though a brief tale with little in the way of plot, somehow this book is not as direct or understandable as it might be. A pity.
   
   On our first view of little white McDuff, he's sitting in the back of a city pound truck. After a providential bump in the road and a quick escape, the solitary doggy goes down a nice suburban street in search of food and shelter. Door number one at the first house growls at him. Door number two at the second house hisses at him. But door number three at the third house is just right. There, a friendly couple take him in, feed him, give him a bath, then decide they haven't room for a doggy. Fortunately an attempted car ride to the pound proves that maybe this couple has grown a bit attached to their shaggy new friend. Happy ending and shortbread biscuits for all.
   
   The book bears a striking resemblance to Lyn Rossiter McFarland's subsequent similarly plotted picture book, "Widget". The difference, however, is that "Widget" is the stronger story. Though I was with "McDuff" through the beginning, about the time he stumbles on the kindly couple I found my eyebrows slowly beginning to lift. For example, when McDuff appears outside the third home, the book says the following: "Somebody opened the door and asked him to come in. It was Lucy. 'This is Fred', said Lucy". Looking at the picture of both Fred and Lucy staring at the pup on their porch, I naturally assumed that now the dog was named Fred. Not so much. The text and the pictures don't mesh particularly well either. When the book says that Fred checks McDuff's collar, the picture shows Fred sitting on a chair with McDuff hiding underneath. Plus the language is oddly stilted. It ends with the words, " 'How happy we are!', they said in their dreams", which is half an inch shy of hokey and a sneeze away from outright saccharine. I don't think I'm conveying the book's inability to tell its story convincingly to you. Nevertheless, I strongly urge you to flip through this story long before you decide to buy it. Long before.
   
   Which is not to say that the pictures don't almost make up for its narrative flaws. Illustrator Susan Jeffers has a Caldecott Honor Award under her belt and it shows. From Lucy's painted toenails and felt hat spotted bathrobe to the image of the three new friends happily munching on McDuff's shortbread biscuits at the tale's end, this book seeks to enchant. Seeks and, were it not for the words, would succeed. I loved the fabulous 40s-50s decor. I liked the scared little McDuff turning into a confident happy pup in a loving home. I liked how realistic these images were and how original the setting became. Obviously if Rosemary Wells had illustrated this tale herself she would've done it in an entirely different way. It's just her own bloody good luck that she found herself paired with such a supremely talented artist.
   
   So it's entirely up to you. "McDuff Moves In" has much in its favor and much against it as well. Personally, I suggest that if you are looking for a tale of a cute little white Scottie finding a home then you should seek out "Widget" by Lyn Rossiter McFarland forthwith. If, however, you're a fan of the period picture book genre and you like Susan Jeffers's work, "McDuff" may be a great choice for you and yours. It is not Rosemary Wells's best writing and the story is pretty touch n' go. Still, there are things to recommend it. Definitely give it a trial run.



3. When I was a working librarian, I read this books (and the others)to my storytimes. When I retired I started to volunteer in an inner city school. I was not certain how the children would react to the book. I am now in my sixth year reading to Preschool, Kindergarten and First Grade. They hear the first four books each year and they always ask me to repeat the books. The line about "no one had ever asked him to come in" always gets a great response. I think everyone should read these McDuff books. So many classes can't be wrong!



4. Great book, my son loves McDuff comes home and McDuff and the baby the best, but we keep reading this one and I am sure it will be be a favorite soon.



5. 
   I love this book. It's a children's book but, as a dog lover (especially terriers), I found it irresistible. The pictures are so well done that and I was drawn into McDuff's unfortunate situation and its resolution. It's a wonderful book to share with your children.