Uncle Boris in the Yukon and Other Shaggy Dog Stories

I enjoyed this quick little read very much. Pinkwater's style is sometimes straightforward, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes leaning toward the tall tale, and often humorous or touching. He has certainly known his share of quirky pets (and even more quirky humans) and he tells about them with affection.

Autobiography, not of his whole life, but of his relationships with a series of dogs. Entertainingly told by a lively children's storyteller and broadcaster. The illustrations, by his wife, are delightful.

On the downside, it stops and starts a lot, like anecdotes strung together rather than a single unit of text, and I'd read many of the best stories in a previous book of his (Fish Whistle)

I've borrowed this from two libraries, one putting it with other animal books in adult non-fiction and the other classifying it as adult fiction. In either case, the book is a series of stories about Daniel Pinkwater's life as it relates to the animals in it. Sad and funny. I'm not a lover of animals, but I enjoyed reading it.

Just didn't engage me. Part of the problem was that I didn't realize, when I picked it up, that it is not a children's book. I mean, probably ages 11 and up can enjoy it - but it's better for adults who will understand assumptions, for example a basic understanding of the Jewish immigrant experience.

Hilarious. I love Daniel Pinkwater even more now than I did before.