Book Review: Underwater Puppies (puppies underwater)

Underwater Puppies, by Seth Casteel (Hachette, 2014, 115 pages, $21)

Previous post: Underwater Dogs

Introduction

If you have never read the introduction to a book before, start now. Seth Castell’s is worthy of your time and is more than just an introduction to a book: it is an introduction to puppies – swimming puppies, rescue puppies and do you really want a puppy – and of course, Casteel writes about the puppies in this book.

Like Underwater Dogs, Underwater Puppies is divided into two unequal sections: the first and largest, pagewise, consists of the swimmingest puppies you will ever see in ‘Underwater Puppies,’ while a few pages at the end are labeled ‘The Puppies on Land’ – just in case, I suppose, you might want to compare what they look like wet and dry!

The sequel (prequel?) to the wildly popular Underwater Dogs, Underwater Puppies is more than just a pretty face. Casteel, author and photographer, is passionate about dogs, puppies and adoption: his job was to swim with all the puppies while photographing them. It was a tough job but someone had to do it!

More than a thousand puppies tried out to have their photo appear in this book of 115 pages: pups from 6 weeks to 6 months old. All received swimming pool swimming lessons even though the sport is innate in our canine friends.

More Puppies, Fewer Bubbles and a Few Tennis Balls Still

Fewer teeth showing and fewer open mouths than their big grown-up dog counterparts in Underwater Dogs, yet big soulful expressive (surprised?) eyes nonetheless adorn these pages.

Grace Under Water, The Puppies Seem to Fly

With puppies, more so than with underwater dogs, it can be difficult to identify the breed or breed mix, so the helpful names, breeds and ages do indeed help and sometimes the same dog is pictured on several pages, especially if he is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for some reason!

Come meet Popsicle and Lumpkin and Pancake and all the adorable rest!

Yesterday: Underwater Dogs