By: Winnie Li, Business Development Executive

 

(Ed. Note: I can confirm all of these animals are very good doggos and their recommendations can definitely be trusted.)

Peoples’ infatuation with dogs has been going on for 15,000 years. We are celebrating our beloved friends in 2018: The Year of the Dog. Much to our surprise, the dogs are very interested in Chinese-language content. We took a poll of several pooches and these are the hot titles!

Recommended by the Papillon:

The Papillon informs us that dogs can recognize human emotions by combining information from different senses. To help humans better understand each other and themselves, the Papillon recommends this title Introduction to the Four-Color Personality Analysis by Le Jia, a theory in decoding personalities via people’s reactions to colors. Le Jia is a professional lecturer and psychological consultant well-known for his guest host role in China’s popular blind date reality show “If You Are the One”. In this book, he divides people into four colors – red, blue, yellow and green – with different personality traits, strengths and weaknesses. By answering a series of questions, readers can quickly identify his/her own personality color. “It feels good to know yourself and others” says the Papillon.

Recommended by the Dalmatian:

The Dalmatian tells us that she has endless capacity for exercises and needs loads of space to run and play. However, understanding the limitation with human society (69% of humans said they don’t have time; 37% said that going to the gym is too costly and 30% said they have no space to work out at home), she recommends One Square Meter Fitness by Bin Ka, in which we can find amazing short workout regimes for small space by mixing and matching high-intensity movements and tools. “No more wimpy excuses for not working out. “says the Dalmatian. There is no need to buy expensive workout equipment or a treadmill. With some creativity and flexibility, you can build a small gym and a strong body in a space of only one square meter.

 

Recommended by the German Shepherd:

The German Shepherd is proud of his ability to excel as a canine cop. His duties include locating missing people, finding crime scene evidence and searching for illegal substances. He says police dog training can be boring and his favorite books to read during off hours are crime fiction and detective novels such as The Survivor by Qin Ming, a forensic expert and A-list suspense writer. “There isn’t a case that the genius forensic expert Qin Ming cannot crack. The forensic techniques are modern, the science is sound and the characters are terrific.” With over 1 million copies sold in China, Qin Ming’s “Medical Examiner” series was adapted web series – 1.5 billion views since is premiere, making it one of the highest performing dramas on Sohu TV.

 

Recommended by the Labrador Retriever:

Labrador Retriever loves to shower people with attention and affection while also being a great watch dog. His favorite genre lately is Wuxia, Chinese martial arts fiction combining both romance and action. Wuxia stories typically evolve around the struggles between the armed forces across different martial art factions in ancient China, highlighting the chivalrous spirit and the ultimate pursuit for martial arts. The Labrador Retriever recommends Puzzles over the Town, which tells a romantic story of two martial artists, Yang Yizhi and Xiang Si. The legend says that on the Miao forbidden land, there were seven ancient warcrafts – Seven Zen – hidden inside of the magic cave, and anyone who becomes the master of the Seven Zen can gain epoch-making power and immortality. This Wuxia title is intertwined with fantasy and myth.

Recommended by the Poodle:

The Poodle loves to groom, and she can effortlessly make the best dressed list year after year. With her high standards and abundant experience at the beauty salons, she recommends Elva Style Book as her number one pick this year. Elva is an actress, author, yoga instructor and was once crowned the International Miss Chinese. This is Elva’s first beauty DIY book which covers a wide range of lifestyle topics that every modern and fashionable girl wants to know, such as beauty, makeup, yoga, healthy eating and photography. Elva shares all her beauty secrets, guiding you through step-by-step makeup routines, juicing and meal planning techniques, yoga skills, etc. This title is Poodle approved.

 

Recommended by the Beagle:

The Beagle is a foodie who has incredible sense of smell and sometimes he wishes he could cook for himself. He has searched across the continents and found one of the best cookbooks for you, Olivia’s Good Time in the Kitchen. Taiwan-based food blogger, Olivia, teaches 70 super popular dishes with the simplest ingredients, from everyday meals, appetizers, weekend picnics, hand-made desserts to exquisite steak dinners and family reunion banquets. As you slowly page through, you will notice that these Chinese and international recipes are highly doable and practical. They are simple and elegant but not overly refined. This book is a must read for those kitchen newbies and passionate cooks. The Beagle says, “Please send some of these dishes my way.”

 

Recommended by the Golden Retriever:

The Golden Retriever is a fully certified service dog. He recommends the Diary of Guide Dogs for those who are interested in learning more about raising and training guide dogs. Miao Kaka loves observing animals and is most famous for her cat personas in various comic titles. With affection and curiosity, the famous graphic novelist, Miao Kaka, visits the canine Hogwarts – The Guide Dog Association in Taiwan – and presents you the life stories of guide dogs in the four-frame comics style. From the birth of the puppies, their growing process to official guide dog trainings, the book shows you a story of two and a half years of love, laughter and tears. As Golden Retriever says, “Whether you are a dog lover, a relative of a visually impaired friend, or someone who is interested in becoming a foster parent of a guide dog, you can learn about our training process and personally feel our pride and joy of being guide dogs.”

 

Recommended by the Yorkshire Terrier:

The Yorkshire Terrier is full of energy so it takes a while to settle down before bed. One of his favorite bedtime stories this year is The Snow Child, a beautifully illustrated Chinese Read-Along. In a moment of levity during the season’s first snowfall, the childless couple sculpts a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone, but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. It is a wonderful, heartwarming, and beautifully told bewitching tale based on a Russian fairy tale, which captures your heart from the beginning. The Yorkshire slowly drifts asleep as he plays this Read-Along.

 

Recommended by the Maltese:

The Maltese is tiny in size and loves traveling to new places. Her favorite titles this year are the “China Culture and Geography Picture Book” series. Chinese New Year in Beijing tells the story of a young Beijing resident, Jing Jing, who lives in Old City. While the city has become more and more modern and somewhat westernized, Jing Jing’s family still practices the Chinese New Year traditions. On New Year’s Eve, they make dumplings, set off firecrackers, and welcome good fortune on the Great Wall. After the New Year Day, the family goes shopping for satin coats, visits their grandparents’ homes, attends the temple fair, and watches dragon dances. This book shows many aspects of Beijing’s customs throughout the Chinese New Year Festival. It highlights the humanistic aspects of this imperial city. The “China Culture and Geography Picture Book” series is written with humor and interesting stories and will leave you wanting to know more and even visit these places. “My next stop is China” says the Maltese.

 

Now go do some reading with the pups in your life. You may find they’re very eager to learn…