The Journal of Ted Terrier by Pawthor
Ted Terrier and his scribe (also a Pawthor) Emma Knight just has to be one of
the funniest and wittiest observations I have read on humans and their erratic behaviour,
from a dog’s point of view. Ted Terrier, a more than intelligent Jack Russell, lays
his family bare, revealing the universal human condition of weakness, insecurity,
foibles, and failings, seeing life though rose-coloured specs, and the many
other silly human things that silly humans do. His journal spares no one and
from six-foot-something head of the family Peter, to depressed mum Jane, to amanuensis
sibling Emma (who struggles to hold onto her creativity, hence this book to
help her get it back), to the various visitors (so few…), Ted gives readers the
benefit of his psychological observations. He is honest, fair, and alarming
perceptive, especially if you are a human reading this book and you recognise
some of your (ahem) failings as a member of the dominant species.
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| Pawthor Ted Terrier |
Ted starts right off by confessing
his obsession with feet, and gives us a description of his family’s feet. The smells
of his family’s feet, to be exact. Interesting. That gives readers an idea of
how dogs see humans: as smells, not as looks and height. Anyone taller than a
human child is very big to a small dog. On the philosophical side, Ted waxes lyrical
as he explains the difference between human and dog thinking. Humans’ problem
is they think too much and they end up confusing themselves and making their
own lives difficult. From there he touches on the benefits of Sunday walks (and
everyone knows every day should be Sunday); the problem with religion; how bad
it is to get upset; what exactly is black comedy; and what really matters in
life. On a practical side, he observes that dogs have it much easier because
they wear their clothes (fur) all the time, and how communication with humans
can be difficult (i.e. what not to do to visitors’ legs).
The absolutely fantastic
illustrations give readers a very clear picture of what happens in Ted’s
household and I had many laugh-out-loud moments. Witty, sometimes acerbic, and
with comic observations any human will appreciate, The Journal of Ted Terrier
will make you see your dog in a very different light. Have you ever said or
thought, “If only the dog could talk…” Don’t think that. The dog might surprise
you! (Five Stars!)
Keep up with Ted’s observations on
life by visiting his Facebook page and his blog.
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