BOOK REVIEW: Perfect Imperfection – Dog Portraits Of Resilience And Love by Alex Cearns

Stephanie O'Connell | 20 March 2018 | Reply

BOOK REVIEW: Perfect Imperfection – Dog Portraits Of Resilience And Love by Alex Cearns

ABC Books
March 2018
Hardcover, $24.99
Reviewed by Steph O’Connell

Non-Fiction / Animals / Photography

9/10

These perfectly imperfect dogs have gentle lessons for us all…

Meet special little Vegemite with the permanent wink; Bali Pip, the playful pup who lost her fur; Raul, who takes partial paralysis in his stride; and many more, all seen through the lens of award-winning photographer Alex Cearns.

In this inspiring portrayal of difference, Alex captures the intrinsic beauty and spirit; the sweetness, resilience and strength of 60 perfectly imperfect dogs. They adapt to their unique bodies without complaint, they survive with determination and they live with joy. The bond between these endearing doggos and their humans shines through – and sometimes they even save each other.

Perfect Imperfection is a collection of gorgeous dogs who are “abnormal” in one way or another.

Overall this collection is both uplifting and heartbreaking. It gives us insight into the essence of resilience present in dogs, and their happy-go-lucky attitude towards what life throws at them. But it also makes you incredibly aware of the things that can befall your best friends, and just how many dogs lose limbs and eyes.

This book is full of gorgeous photos and touching stories. Though it would have been nice to have a little more consistency with the information provided, I can appreciate how difficult it must be to gather this information from 60 different pet owners.

Perfect Imperfection is bound to appeal to people who have loved other dog-photography books such as Treat! and Upside-Down Dogs. This is a must have for any dog lovers out there, especially those who’ve had some perfect imperfection in their own lives.