Martin is a dog who stars in a forthcoming ABC television show called, "Downward Dog." He has written "Downward Dog: Very Serious Haiku from a Very Serious Dog," a poetic homage to his life, his poop, his food, and to his beloved human, Nan. Of course, since Martin has not yet learned to write (I think), Samm Hodges and Phinheas Hodges, transcribe his thoughts for him, with Idil Gozde doing the illustrations.

Martin's funny, bitter sweet poetry reflects the innocence and soul of a "good dog." He thanks his "Mom and Dad, whoever you are," and his Nan, his human, "my moon and my stars for ever and ever. I love you so much I can never tell you, I will always love you, I love you, I love you, I can’t believe how much I love you. Also, please never leave again for the whole weekend; it was so, so horrible."

If you have ever loved a dog, you will recognize the truth in Martin's Haiku, and you will read it over and over again to catch every nuance and thought that Martin wants you to know.

This is such a sweet book from an obvious dog lover!! It gives you little snippets of what a dog might be thinking in different situations. I love my dogs so much and hope that some of these thoughts are in their minds. Can't wait to watch the TV show!

Cute and funny haiku/poetry from a dog named Martin. A naughty dog as it turns out but despite a big scare everything turns out in the end. Sweet illustrations and kids will love it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Animal Media Group, Samm Hodges, and Phinheas Hodges for the gracious offer to read and review this ARC;

"and is it really my job to figure this stuff out?
I have so many questions and so little time."


I have to admit off the bat what I went into expect light and fluffy (on the account of being about a dog), or perhaps soul searching ideas (on the account of Haiku's), I was indeed blown away how this book managed in far less than ten minutes to make me feel moved so many times and more than once nearly to tears.

I found identifications to the bonding, the risk of loss, the heart deep dedication between them as the topics spanned so wide: chasing squirrels, getting fixed, having a lover, the rusty edge of disease and impending death, the quite imperfect truth that dogs age so much faster than people. The art, too, brought a brand new level to all the inspired feelings of this work.

I will be looking forward, with high hopes, to the future publications by these two.

Cute book with simple haikus from a dog's perspective. If own a dog or if you've ever owned a dog, you'll enjoy the simple sweetness of this book. A nice gift for the dog owner.

This is a delightful book.. While I would not necessarily choose this title for a book club discussion; it is a perfect gift for ANY dog lover. The tone of this book, like the program, is absolutely charming and insightful.

A fun, brief read for dog lovers, filled with beauty and truth:

Winter is Netflix
And a shared blanket we
both fart under

Yep.

Any dog lover will relate to this book. The World is seen through the eyes of a dog, a very clever intuitive dog who feels lonely, jealous guilt., A trip to the vets leaves the owner concerned and the dog wonders why....... "at home, you curl up with me, although it is afternoon - I lick your tears away"A book you will read over and over discovering new things each time..

This book is full of haiku poems by a dog. Yes, haiku poems from the perspective of a dog!

If you know me, you know I love dogs, especially my own bichon poodle, Skippy. These poems are hilarious! I can picture these poems coming from my dog.

My favourite one is about the "surprise" after "the ride in the car" which ended with being neutered. I laughed out loud at that one! Some of the other poems were about cuddling up with Netflix and a dilemma about his leash: friend or foe?

There are also pictures that go along with many of the poems. They're just simple drawings, that presumably have been drawn by the dog.

I really like this book! It's super short but it's so funny! These haikus come from the dog from the new ABC show, Downward Dog. Check it out Wednesday nights!

This review will be posted on my blog on June 7, 2017.

Downward Dog- Samm Hodges, Phinheas Hodges 5*
Love this- a perfect gift for any dog lover. Short neat poems (not quite haiku-maybe the canine version!) to bring a smile. Written as if by a dog with his loves, likes and dislikes for the world around him. I haven’t seen the TV series but after this may well go and have a look. For those of us who know our dogs talk to us and we talk to them back (what are we meant to do? Not answer?) A book to guarantee a smile.
I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased

I absolutely adore the show Downward Dog! One of the best pilots I've seen in a long time - Allison Tolman is absolutely brilliant, and so is Ned, the dog portraying Martin. The show is heartwarming and hilarious, and these haikus are as well. They're also a good way to stave off my impatience for the next episode.

Seriously, if you have a dog or if you just like dogs, watch Downward Dog. Then take a break and read this collection of haikus.

Fun, entertaining and light read. As a dog owner, really enjoyed the dry sense of humor from the dog's point of view!;
Hope the television show is as enjoyable. Would have liked a little more content.

This was quite funny! I enjoyed it and the little doodles, but it was over too fast and I think I'd appreciate it more if I'd seen some of the show! I don't think we can get it over in the UK, but this cute little book makes me want to check it out more.

So after watching the first four episodes, I'm convinced Downward Dog is one the best new shows on TV. That's probably why I'm awaiting news of its cancellation. It always seems the shows I really enjoy never last.

Anyway, when I saw this book for offer on Netgalley, I immediately had to request it. It's a short book filled with Martin's thoughts and illustrations on the important questions in his life. I loved it and as soon as I can, I'm ordering a physical copy. It's that cute and a perfect book to read when you need a pick me up. Here's one of my favorite Martin thoughts and the one which my pups probably appreciated the most. He wrote it about a local cat:

"My enemy lift his head from behind the fence - where I will bury him."

Classic Martin. If you love the show or dogs in general, do yourself a favor and check this one out!

Very cute book. Could be a fast reading. Perfect gift for dog lovers.

It contains some nice drawings. Haiku is the form for the dog to tell what he or she thinks, makes it even funnier.

Enjoyed it.

Perfect for fans of the series, like me, this book contains about 35 haikus written by Martin the dog on the show. The haikus vary from funny to frightening to romantic. Not only will you see your dog's feelings in them (the horrible ending after a car ride to the vet) but also your own. How many people other than me can relate to this example from the book:
Shame: all the food has
vanished before I notice
I started eating

The illustrations assist the reader's understanding of the haikus and in one instance replace the haiku.

This book is great for dog lovers. It would also be a good book to read to children to encourage them to empathize, instead of terrorize, their new doggy brother or sister.

I’ve never seen Downward Dog, but now that I’ve read this wonderful book I feel I have to. Downward Dog: Very Serious Haiku from a Very Serious Dog warms the heart, bringing smiles and sometimes tears to your eyes. I thought the haiku were beautiful, a perfect concise expression of canine emotion and thought. I loved the simple and beautiful illustrations. In its entirety, Downward Dog: VSH from a VSD, sums up everything I love about dogs. It is a beautiful book that any dog lover would treasure.


5 / 5


I received a copy of Downward Dog: Very Serious Haiku from a Very Serious Dog from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


--Crittermom

Perfect for someone like me. Very well written an unusual style of book,but so so good!

Some funny haiku
make an entertaining read
No photos used though.

A very quick, cute read. As a fan of the tv series, I hope this book isn't a spoiler of what is to come in the episodes as there is an unexpected and (initially) sad event in the book but keep reading!
I was initially expecting photos to be used in the book but instead there are cute pictures (which is probably just as well considering some of the subject matter!). But this combined with just a few words on the simple pages along with a read that takes less than 5 minutes, does make me wonder what the value for money is in the book.

Unexpectedly hilarious and a book that would be perfect on a rainy dog with a four-legged friend.

This is a quick read but a very special one. The poems are sweet, funny, and heartwarming. And I loved the illustrations as well. This is a perfect read for all dog lovers out there.

This served as the perfect read when I didn't have any physical books on hand. I haven't see the show this book is based on but this definitely makes me want to check it out.

This is an unique look through the eyes of a dog. This dog happens to be a TV fabrication, but it is still at heart real dog and his little book of haikus would make a great gift (or self-gift) for any dog lover. After reading the book I actually went and watched some of the episodes (and may go back and watch the rest too).

ARC/Poetry: Disclaimer: I'm really mad the show was cancelled. I only discovered the show to catch a couple of episodes and poo f, it's gone.

This poetry book is poetry by the serious poet, Martin. Yes, he's a dog. I have one of my own, so I understand where Martin is coming from. It's a short book and more of the stocking stuffer variety for off lovers.

A easy and enjoyable read! Martin is a very serious dog with a serious talent for Haiku. Insightful and it is easy to infer the type of dog he is from his words.

I cannot remember the last time a book of poetry made me laugh out loud. DOWNWARD DOG was absolutely entertaining, at least from the point of view of this dog lover. There are even one or two more serious haikus to balance out the ones that make you laugh. I'm pretty sure my own dog thinks much like Martin does.

My absolute favorite from the book:
"Shame: all the food has
vanished before I notice
I started eating"

Put this on your gift list for any dog lover. Absolutely adorable.

A short little book that touched my heart. This was a humorous and touching story filled with haikus written in the perspective of a dog. I have always loved stories in the perspective of animals, especially ones that are written like this. The dog's story was adorable and also heartwarming. This book made me laugh and was a quite enjoyable little read. It is not a large book but the story was perfect in it. If you are a dog or animal lover I'm sure you will find something you enjoy in it.

I really enjoyed this (very) short book. Like the form of the poetry it embraces, the line drawing illustrations are spare and minimalist and suit the material very well. Haiku is not easy (well, that's the point). This book is beautifully written, poignant in places and really funny in places. It ends with an important message about adopting a companion from a shelter (like the author and coverdog, Martin :)

I find it difficult to not quote examples, but they are lovely and deal with the entire palette of experience from love and food and bonding, to fear of death and the endless universe. It's a touching profound tribute that moved me and made me laugh (sometimes at the same moment).

Well done. Truly well done.

Four stars

A cute and quick read perfect for dog lovers! I've never read haiku by a dog, but there's a first time for everything. I have no complaints or anything I dislike from this book, it was sweet, funny, and charming in the way only a dog could be. The illustrations we're pleasing to the eye and simple and I felt they really worked with the book.

This was such a fun, lovable, quirky set of haiku. Any dog owner would love this book and this would make a great gift. I could relate to so many of the funny situations with my own dog. Thank you for the copy!

A very cleverly written book about haikus written from a dog's perspective about thi vs a dog might possibly be thinking about. Great present for dog lovers

I will be honest here: I did not know that there was going to be a TV series for ABC called “Downward Dog” since I barely heard any promos for the show. However, when NetGalley offered me a chance to check out the book that is going to spawn into a TV series called “Downward Dog: Very Serious Haiku from a Very Serious Dog” which is written by Samm Hodges and Phinehas Hodges along with artwork by Idil Gozde, I just knew that I had to check this book out and I must admit that this book has got me interested!

SUMMARY

The story is about a dog named Martin, who ends up being left at home by his human owner, Nan and during that time, Martin has decided to write a haiku about his life as a dog and you will be quite interested to hear what he has to say about his life!

PROS

I must admit that I found this book to be pretty creative and cute at the same time! I liked the way that both Samm Hodges and Phinehas Hodges wrote this story as it is styled in a haiku type of poetry and we get to see how Martin the dog views his life while relating his story and his relationship with his human owner Nan, to the audience in poetic form. I also liked the way that Samm Hodges and Phinehas Hodges incorporated some humor in this story, with my favorite moments being of Martin looking at Big Bird from “Sesame Street” on TV and commenting on it and Martin mentioning about how he would fart in bed with his owner. Idil Gozde’s artwork is both simplistic yet humorous at the same time as the artwork looks like children’s drawings, which would make sense since Martin the dog is supposedly the one who is writing this book; the artwork would often downplay the introspective nature of Martin, but does it in a humorous way!

CONS

The reason why I gave this book a four-star rating was because while I thought it was creative for the story to be told in a poetic narrative, it was a bit hard to understand exactly what Martin is saying throughout the book. Since the book is written in a way where various sentences are shortened in order to fit in with the structure of a haiku, I found some of Martin’s thoughts to be a bit incomplete and therefore, it was hard for me to see where Martin was going with his inner thoughts on his life.

OVERALL

Overall, “Downward Dog: Very Serious Haiku from a Very Serious Dog” is a truly cute book for anyone who loves reading about dogs and who loves reading haikus!

First of all, I LOVED the TV show and was decidedly sad when I found out it was canceled. When I found out that Martin, the dog on the show, had written his very own BOOK, I was delighted! And now, having read it, I will recommend it to anyone who loves dogs even if you haven't seen the show. These haiku poems are at the same time funny, real, sweet, honest, and profound. It will make a perfect gift for any dog lover in your life!

This was a super, super cute read.
Downward Dog is a book of haiku's written from a dogs eye view, which is totally adorable.
Not to mention the little illustrations were precious!

But I didn't love it.
It was short, only 60ish pages.
But being so short it was hard to grasp the idea that it was written in a dogs voice.
I love, love, love my pup but I can't imagine her voice as the voice portrayed in the book.

I was a huge fan of the Downward Dog TV show for the short time it was on ABC, so when I saw this book available, I scooped it up. Written in the same endearing style as the show, Martin, the dog, tells us his innermost thoughts. The author truly <i>gets</i> dogs and dog lovers, and this short, but charming, book is one I highly recommend to anyone who loves a dog. 🐶

Thank you to Sam Hodges, Animal Media Group, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this treasure of a book.

As an Australian I have not seen the show but I do believe the book still holds interest in the gift book market for dog lovers.

This is a poem book in a dog's point of view. It describes his day to day, things he likes and doesn't like. It's a sweet short read that as I read was ready for bad news but thankfully all turned out well in the end.

A short enjoyable read.

// I received this ebook for free from #netgalley in exchange for an honest review //

Downward Dog: Very Serious Haiku from a Very Serious Dog
By Samm and Phinheas Hodges
Animal Media Group

This was a quick, funny read that really lightened up my bad day. The book is a series of haikus from the point of view of a dog. While obviously dogs can't write, I can imagine a dog actually writing poetry like this. I mean, I can see my dog writing this. Plus, the pictures are pretty awesome as well. Even the one sad haiku hit a nerve as I can imagine what it would feel like if I had to go through what happened in that particular haiku.

Overall, I give Downward Dog: Very Serious Haiku from a Very Serious Dog by Samm and Phinheas Hodges 📖📖📖📖 / 5 bookies and highly recommend for a good laugh.

As a dog lover I thought these little poems were cute, dog is truly man, or woman's best friend.

Very sweet book, especially for all dog lovers! ❤️

This is a really cute book for dog lovers. Haiku's from a Dog's perspective with cute illustrations. A quick read. Perfect Gift for any Dog Lover. Enjoy

I am not familiar with the television show this is based on, but it was a sweet and surprisingly poignant series of haiku from a dog's point of view.

I never watched the Downward Dog tv show, but after reading this quick and funny book I will probably start watching the show as well. This book has some haikus told in the perspective of the dog. There are also some nice illustrations to go along. While most are funny, some of them are also a little bit sad and make you reflect on the dog's perspective. If you love dogs, you will like this book as well.

"A man in the park, too close, you quicken your step. My growl shakes the earth"
*********************************************************************************************************************
Very cute book told by the dog about his relationship with his human.
Everything from "the puddle on the floor" and hoping for forgiveness to the what the dogs poop reallllly looks like and its not the cute poop emoji.
Cover is adorable but the story will pull on any dog lover/owner's heart strings.

**Thank you NetGalley for my free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**

I am a dog lover, and I really enjoy haiku, so this book was a perfect fit! But more than that, I can hear my own dog thinking the same truths! I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. Very well done!

Downward Dog: Very Serious Haiku
By a Very Serious Dog
Author: Samm Hodges & Phineas Hodges


In 2017 there was a very short lived series on ABC about an adopted rescue dog named Martin. I don't watch a lot of television and the show's run was so short, that I somehow missed it. Seems like a lot of people did. People who are now scrambling to watch the episodes online and wishing they hadn't missed out. And still others were fans of the cute, heart-warming show....before ABC pulled the plug on it after only one season. Their justification? Too expensive to produce.

I hope Netflix or another of the big streaming services picks up the show, or that they make some online videos. They made a video series before the television series was filmed, and about 12 minutes of video was released to promo the television show. You can watch it here: (youtube link)

I love any show with a talking dog. :) So I knew I would also love poetry written by a dog....well written by two television writers who write simulated dog poetry. I would like to think that Martin dictated the poems and the writers jotted it down for him. Kinda hard to type or hold a pen with paws. Yeah...that must be what happened. :)

The cover for this book is sweet and shows the dog from the television series (who was actually adopted from a shelter). The poems and artwork are perfect. I kept looking at my dog Roxie and thinking how almost all of them fit how she might feel sometimes. :)

My favorite is this one:

Winter is Netflix
And a shared blanket we
both fart under

There is some great artwork by Idil Gozde as well.

Great, fun book for any dog lover, especially the proud parents of an adopted shelter dog!!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Animal Media Group via NetGalley. All opinions expressed (including this one: SOMEONE PICK UP THE OPTION ON THIS SHOW AND BRING IT BACK!!!!) are entirely my own.**

A short, yet very effective book of poetry told from the perspective of a dog named Martin. Funny at moments, sad at others. This book is very touching, and would be the perfect gift for any dog owner, dog lover, or even an animal enthusiast. A lovely coffee table book.

I have received a much appreciated digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a total sucker for a dog story especially if it’s told by the dog. This is a unique style as it’s written in haiku style about the life of a dog (told through his eyes of course) with his favorite human. It’s funny and kind of sad. Don’t worry- it ends beautifully. I loved the illustrations “by the dog” too. That definitely added to the humor.

I have not seen the ABC show but now I want to look it up. Hoping it’s on Netflix!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Must read for any dog-lover!

Samm Hodges and Phinheas Hodges’ Downward Dog: Very Serious Haiku from a Very Serious Dog is a cute and touching book. This book is as adorable and funny as I expected but it is also very moving and quite profound.

The book is a short collection of haikus and illustrations from the perspective of adorable dog Martin, the star of an ABC TV series, Downward Dog. We get a glimpse into Martin’s life which includes his boundless love for his owner Nan, thoughts on growing older, and sickness.

If you’ve ever wondered what your precious dog is thinking, this is definitely the book for you! The dog’s voice is nicely done, and I can just imagine Martin (or my dog) talking to me like this. The haikus are cute, meaningful, and really poignant. I love that the haikus are not laugh out loud funny. Instead, they have a gentle and insightful humour which really works.

Idil Gozde’s illustrations are absolutely lovely in their simplicity. I love the gentle colours and the cute depictions nicely support the haikus.

Downward Dog: Very Serious Haiku from a Very Serious Dog is a sweet and super quick read. I would definitely purchase this book for myself. I recommend it to fellow dog owners or anyone who has pets. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in this book. You may find yourself shedding a few tears and wanting to go hug your doggie!

Thank you to NetGalley and Animal Media Group for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cute book for dog lovers/owners. Unique form of poetry presents the story with a new light.
See the highs and lows of a dog's life. Understand the inner monologue of a dog. toward his owner.