This book offers a fun and quirky introduction to famous artists, writers and scientists, via their pets. We learn a great deal about Sigmund Freud for example through the story of his beloved chow chow Jofi, who was present in his owner’s famous treatment rooms for seven years. Similarly, it’s much easier to identify with Isaac Newton once you know about his little dog, Diamond, or Henri Matisse as you learn about his cats Minouche, Coussi and la Puce. Some of the pets of course are interesting in their own right too – the crocodiles Dorothy Parker kept in her bath, or Charles Dickens’ talking raven Grip, who stars in Barnaby Rudge and also inspired Edgar Allen Poe’s poem The Raven. There are full page illustrations of each pet and owner and opposite a page of lively, accessible information about the pair and their relationship. Unusual, handsomely illustrated and inspiring.
Did you know that Mozart's pet starling was the inspiration for his Piano Concerto No. 17?
Or that writer Dorothy Parker loved animals so much she let a pair of alligators swim in her bathtub?
These are just a couple of the stories in this delightful and surprising collection that profiles the strong bond between humans and their pets.
Some of these stories are touching: Frida Kahlo memorialised her pet deer Granizo in her painting The Wounded Deer. Some are a little quirky: Albert Einstein, convinced that his parrot, Bibo, was sad, told bad jokes to cheer the bird up.
Each of these wonderfully entertaining stories is made even more appealing by Katherine Quinn's captivating illustrations. Rich in detail and reminiscent of folk art, they capture the humour and poignancy of these fascinating pairings. Together these stories and illustrations will create lasting impressions that will help young readers identify historic figures and spark joy in friendships with the animals in their own lives.
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