Maggie's Way
While this charming book is a photographic exploration of life as a bassett hound, it is also an exploration of the infinite positions one adorable dog can find for sleeping. Whether the location of the bed is a tree house, a meadow, a pillow-covered couch, or an asphalt road, the star ofMaggie's Wayturns napping into an art form. Maggie is a 7-year-old bassett hound, and owner-photographer Bill Stanton has captured Miss Maggie in all her droopy, drooly, floppy-eared glory. The majority of the photos are color, but a few sepia-toned prints glorify Maggie's lazy spirit on a summer afternoon. Each photo is accompanied by a short quote that perfectly captures the essence of the scene, and is sure to make you smile. Some quotes are from famous thinkers, other uncredited ones can only be from Stanton; in every case, the humor in the choice is evident.  Examine the photo of a wetland that is next to Goethe's words "Plunge boldly into the thick of life"--is that a bassett hound tail poking out of the cattails? Apparently city-dwelling Maggie is also a bagel hound. Pictured above the words "the rewards of the urban hunt" is a dog with a mouth full of sesame bagel. One terrifying series of shots is titled "view from the bowl"--all you see are giant ears, a giant nose, and a giant tongue. Yikes!  Bassett owners are sure to love this book; just remember that your hound is as likely to love chewing the pages as much as you enjoy turning them.--Jill Lightner