Customer Reviews

Dirty Wow Wow and Other Love Stories: A Tribute to the Threadbare Companions of Childhood

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found this book at a bookstore and it caught my eye because of the stuffed animal on the cover...I have the same one, and he's in almost the same shape. This is a great little book to give to a friend or grown child who was known for carrying around some sort of blanket, stuffed animal, etc. Really cute little "stories" about the objects we loved to death as children.

I agree with the reviewer that said this book was just so-so - I really thought this a great book concept and was looking forward to heartwarming stories of people who remember their toys fondly, and funny pictures of wretched, worn, well-loved toys. However, the authors seem to fall short of the promised delivery on the cover - one of the "toys" was simply a photo of torn up cloth and the entry was called "Rags"...and the "story" was about how children may take to rags instead of stuffed toys. I felt a bit cheated. I would much have preferred real people and real stories about their stuff - maybe a photo of an interviewee and toy today and his/her childhood photo clutching the toy when new. I always loved those photos. But this book doesn't have such things - it seems superficial, more an artsy pretty photo book than a book where real legwork was taken to uncover the stories.

This book was alot of fun to read. It's interesting to hear about the trials and tribulations of other people's stuffed animals, blankies, etc. It also made you think about your own memories.

I received this book as a gift and immediately had to order it as a gift for my sister who turns 65 next week. Her threadbare companion until our family left it in a motel enroute from Chicago to Seattle, was a small down pillow, called her "My My". She was only four years old, I was nine and I can still remember her cries of anguish.

Almost anyone can relate to this charming book.

So disappointed you took down the website, which was more like an ongoing blog where people contributed their own stories and photos. This reads more like a calendar. Keep the book but bring back the website - it was a living breathing thing with a life of its own.

As a child, did you have one special friend that you loved nearly to pieces? That lovable doll, blanket or bear you lugged everywhere and who made you feel at home anywhere? This is a collection of fifty such beloved companions and their life stories. The adoration for these childhood sweethearts is painfully evident - marked by their missing limbs, obvious patches and threadbare fur.

Each page features one photo and a short descriptive paragraph on the opposing page. An all white background contributes to the simple look, keeping the focus right where it should be - on the companions. The writing is really very clever, which saves this book from being overly sweet. Reading each entry, you feel as though you are peeking right into the best memories of someone else's childhood.

The inspiration for the book was the authors' son's companion Doggie, who is featured on the cover. The title of the book is named for a friend's companion. The smart writing paired with the simple photographs make this a truly unique book, and an excellent one at that. It really is a book of heartwarming love stories, the perfect gift for a new mom.

When I opened the book, I was drawn in by the sweet photographs of the well-loved "companions". The photos alone tell a story of what each stuffed toy or blanket meant to each child. I LOVE this book, and I think that it make a perfect gift for new parents, empty nesters and everyone in between. My guess is that the Katzes will start to receive photos or letters about companions from around the globe!

The book made me laugh out loud! Both the pictures and the commentary are hilarious! A real treasure!

I found this book misshelved in the library while searching for another title. After looking it over I HAD to check it out. I simply fell in love with it and ordered it through Amazon. Now I wouldn't part with it for anything. It's a delight, a gift of sweet nostalgia, and a joy to look at over and over again.
Most of the toys and blankies have been loved beyond recognition, some are in shreds, but all have been sources of comfort and love for the children to whom they belonged. Go to the library, take a look at the pictures, you too will just have to own this book. A big thank you goes to the authors!

Haven't we all had a dirty wow wow? I love this book like I loved my own stuffed dog "Yoders" as a child. The pictures and the stories in this book are as much a treasure as each stuffed animal or blanket we love.