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It’s a Dog’s Life
In December 2014, a chocolate-colored dog with golden eyes was found wandering in Arizona’s Yuma Desert. A kind-hearted man brings the lost dog to a rescue facility. Sadly, no one chooses to adopt the stray, whose desperate wish is for a family to love and cherish him. Soon, however, while he’s at a second animal rescue, his picture is published in a local paper and-voila! A compassionate couple falls for him, names him Karl, and brings him to his forever home, one filled with unconditional love.
Parents and children alike will be captivated by this tender, humorous look at Karl’s now happy life-told from his point of view and with pictures of the real Karl, a handsome Boykin Spaniel.
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Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Readers' Favorite
Karl’s Diary: It’s a Dog’s Life by Sharon Winters stands out as a unique and thought-provoking book about a wise dog named Karl, told from his perspective. Karl starts the story with his sad beginnings of how he was rescued from a shelter and given a new lease on life by his new human family, who adopt him and give him all the love and care he deserves. I’m always intrigued by stories told from an animal’s point of view because they offer such interesting insights and commentary. This one is no different and stands out among the many that are to be found today. In this book, you get to know Karl’s character and background, his thoughts, and his feelings. Through him, we also get to know his family and their personalities. One of my favorite parts is when Karl discovers he is having steak for a meal. Priceless.
Winters injects life and humor into this one-of-a-kind dog story that celebrates the special bond dogs and humans share. She is a passionate writer, but I also think the author’s background in psychology adds layers and meaning to the story as well. You can learn a lot about life from loving a dog, and feeling unconditional love from one. Photos enhance the narrative, and readers see what Karl looks like. If you want to slip inside a dog’s mind and live his adventurous life for a while or miss a dog that has passed, please do yourself a favor and treat yourself to Karl’s Diary: It’s a Dog’s Life by Sharon Winters. It would make a heartwarming film.
“I Laughed and I Cried. Karl’s Diary – It’s a Dog’s Life and is a very well written book about Karl, a handsome Boykin Spaniel and his rags to riches story. I laughed and I cried about his adventures and the way he viewed life and love. I could not put this book down and would recommend it to anyone who loves animals and is interested in knowing what they think and how they view life.”
- MandFAmazon
Review was written by the Book Review Directory
Karl’s Diary: It’s a Dog’s Life is a memoir told from a unique perspective of the dog. While we know a dog cannot literally speak and write his thoughts, no doubt the owner’s connection to Karl is so deep that they understand each other. Pets bring joy to a lot of people, and when an older animal is adopted to a forever home, a special bond is formed between owner and animal. Karl was a shelter dog and adopted in 2015 by the Winters. His golden eyes and chocolate-brown fur on his typical “love me” dog face as he gives anyone “the look” that says “love me” are infectious and irresistible.
At around ten thousand words, Karl’s Diary is an easy and quick read, but it is one that will tug at the heart. For anyone who has ever loved and lost a beloved pet, they will be there right alone with Karl for the journey, grow attached to him, and laugh and cry with him. Many people will contest that there is nothing quite like a dog’s love. They are loyal, always there to greet us, and work their way into our hearts, couches, and beds, whether we want them shedding fur all over our blankets or not.
Winters has included several pictures of Karl throughout the little book, which add to the story. We see him curled up asleep in his favorite spots, some of which are forbidden, but he gets away with it because he is adorable. He kids about dieting and blames it on his uncle Marty giving him too much good food, but all is done with kindness and in a joking spirit. We feel for Karl when he has to watch his mom leave, and he wonders when she will come back…and if she will come back.
The diary entries are often short and are somewhat repetitive, but a dog’s life is pretty simple and straightforward. A lot of sleeping, eating, walks, and petting are part of his life, so when Karl reflects on the deeper meanings behind all this surface-level stuff, we appreciate his profound ability to see what matters at the heart.
At times, the entries skip forward several months or even a year, which can feel choppy and cause the reader to go back a page or two to ensure they did not miss anything. Even a dog cannot be expected to write in his diary all the time, however. He is too busy chasing squirrels or sleeping off the exercise.
Review was written by the Book Review Directory
Karl’s Diary: It’s a Dog’s Life is a sweet, tear-jerking memoir about a special dog named Karl. Even though Karl’s owners, the Winters, had the pleasure of keeping him as their pet, Karl will feel like he is part of the reader’s home before the pages are done turning. For dog and animal lovers everywhere, Karl’s Diary is a must read.
Thomas Anderson, Editor In Chief - Literary Titan
Any animal lover will tell you without hesitation- pets are indeed a part of the family. They bring love, joy, entertainment, and sometimes even lifesaving companionship to people’s lives each and every day. And if they can do that for us, imagine what we do for them, especially rescue animals. To go from uncertainty on the streets or in a shelter, to a loving, safe home with regular food and warmth, rescues must certainly appreciate us even if they can’t exactly express it in words. But what if they could? What if our fur babies could keep a record of their thoughts for us to read?
In Karl’s Diary: It’s a Dog’s Life author Sharon Winters imagines just a scenario, detailing the life of Karl, an adopted boykin Spaniel, as he navigates life in his new home. His life is not exotic, but full of everything a dog could want, most importantly an abundant amount of love and an abundant amount of food. Anyone who’s ever had a dog won’t be shocked by Karl’s focus on food as he details his days, recalling his own meals as well as those of his humans. It’s clearly a large part of his happiness! However, Karl knows without a doubt that the love he’s given on a daily basis is the most important part of his life and is appreciated consistently throughout the book. Winters gives Karl his own voice and personality that is easy to recognize in the pets in our own lives. One of the most masterful tools she uses to truly make him come to life is simplicity. We know a dog’s needs are simple- it stands to reason that their thoughts, if we could hear them, would be as well, and Winters never tries to make Karl or his life more complicated than it needs to be. It gives the story a level of authenticity that adds to its enjoyment.
It’s so easy to forget sometimes the impact we have on the animals in our lives, but Karl’s Diary tells his story in a way that helps drive the point home without resorting to saccharine soaked oversentimentality. Karl is every pet that has ever held a place in our hearts, reminding us of how easy it can be to change the life of an animal when given the chance. “To the world you are one person, but for one person, you are the world” is a quote that aptly sums up this story.
5/5
Review was written by the Book Review Directory
Karl’s Diary: It’s a Dog’s Life by Sharon Winters shares the day-to-day life of a special and spoiled dog named Karl. Told from Karl’s point of view, each diary entry gives the reader an inside look into what it’s like to be adopted, loved, and snuggled by his owners. Karl shares his favorite foods, lets us in on who he is dating, and reminds us of how important it is to love and be loved.
KIRKUS Reviews
A rescued pup describes the joys of finding a loving home in Winters’ novella.
This book tells the story of Karl, a sweet, brown dog with golden eyes, told in his own voice. When a man finds the frightened and hungry young Boykin spaniel in Arizona’s Yuma Desert, he brings the animal to the Humane Society of Yuma. He’s put up for adoption but is repeatedly overlooked; after a few weeks, he’s transferred to Friends for Life Animal Rescue in Gilbert, Arizona, but still he’s passed over: “I was feeling unloved and unwanted,” he narrates. Then a “doggy angel” appears to him on New Year’s Day 2014, and tells him to make a wish and click his paws three times. Soon, a photographer takes his picture, and it appears in a local paper. Before long, a man and woman show up, and it’s love at first sight. In whimsical, sporadic diary entries, he shares his pleasures, adventures, and mild difficulties (including girlfriend troubles) during his seven years as a pampered dog. “May everyone have a soft place to land; a place safe and warm, and always welcoming,” he narrates. “A place where you are loved completely. I’m in my place—Mommy’s arms. There is no other earthly place like it.” Karl focuses a little too frequently on the dog’s culinary delights, as he’s treated to a wide variety of carefully curated meals, but this is, most of all, a story of love and devotion. Winters’ sweet story for dog lovers includes a multitude of entertainingly captioned photographs of the real-life Karl, the rescue pup who provided the
inspiration for this short volume. Inevitably, a dog story has a measure of pathos, but the author handles sadder moments with gentleness—along with a bit of spiritual magic.
A charming and enjoyable animal tale.