Mike&Scrabble: A Guide to Training Your New Human - Hardcover

Dicks, Mike; Scrabble

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1787110001 ISBN 13: 9781787110007

Publisher: Hubble & Hattie, 2017

Synopsis

There are many wise, practical, and academic books that explore the relationship between pets and their owners; Mike&Scrabble is not one of them. Instead, this picture book for adults gives an insight into the mind of a dog who has acquired a slightly damaged human, and sets about trying to train him.

Mike&Scrabble's simple illustrations and one-line observations were originally designed by Mike, despite what Scrabble says, as posts for Twitter and Facebook, to joke about becoming a dog owner. The posts gathered a following of loyal fans, mainly dog owners (about 90%), mainly women (about 55%), and mostly English or American (70%). Except for one fan in Vietnam.

This is a book that dogs will buy, but as they have trouble using an iPad and don't keep money on them, it may well be attractive to their Human pets.

About this title

About the Author

Mike Dicks has had what is best described as a 'portfolio career,' and a life of creating anecdotes about himself. Mike accidentally got jobs selling technologies before anyone wanted them, then made bits of the world-wide-web before anyone knew they needed them. Recently, Mike has been travelling the world teaching people how not to make the same mistakes that he did, and making pictures of Brighton and dead celebrities for people to buy. Mike lives by the sea, in Hove, with a dog called Scrabble. He's married to Debbie and has two sons, and a stepson and stepdaughter.

Scrabble lives in Hove with Mike. She was rescued from the Allsorts Rescue Centre in January 2016 and her story should really be the subject of a 'prequel' book. By all accounts she was an accident on an Irish puppy farm: there are far too many places like these in Ireland, and far too many 'accidents.' The volunteers at Allsorts say that she was picked up by a feisty Irish woman who drives around all the farms collecting unwanted dogs, before the farmers, well, you simply don't want to know what the farmers do with these unwanted accidents. Our heroine then takes her collected dogs to the RSPCA or Battersea Dogs Home, which bring them to the UK and distribute them to various charities and rescue centres. Scrabble probably has hundreds of siblings; perhaps you are owned by one of them ...?

Review

I have picked up this book and not put it down until I have gone completely through all those cartoons ... [this] will be equally as interesting to dog owners as to any children who may come across the book. Trevor Turner A picture book ... a series of funny, but sometimes sad images depicting the strange and often quirky behaviours between dogs and their humans! ... totally unique .. I can very much see something like this catching on very well. A beautifully presented book in such a simple fashion, published by Hubble and Hattie with their usual classy finish and presentation. A unique gift. Dog Training Weekly Mike & Scrabble is irresistible. Written by Scrabble, the internationally renowned Human Behavior Expert ... Mike & Scrabble is also must read for humans ... Enjoy the wisdom, the humor and conversation starters ... Recommended for all readers over the age of 12. Geelong Obedience Dog Club Mike Dick's cartoons started out as snippets online, and their popularity soon garnered a cult following. It's delightful to seem brought together as a brilliant story, and one that's as uplifting as it is tongue-in-cheek. Dogs Monthly. Once more Hubble & Hattie has taken on board a book project which, although essentially a charity fundraiser, manages to inform and entertain. Life has its challenges and from the simple story we learn of Mike Dicks loss of a canine friend, his fight with leukaemia and the arrival of Scrabble, who melts his heart and gives him a reason to live. The pages are well conceived and with computer graphics providing the illustrations. Mike and Scrabble were destined to be together and once their joint adventures were aired on the internet the publishing deal was a unique opportunity to support two charities which has helped the 'lost souls'. Children and adults alike will be charmed by Scrabble's training techniques for humans! - The Kennel Club.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hubble & Hattie
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1787110001
• ISBN 13: 9781787110007
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 64