When we found out that Uggie, the lovable terrier from the Oscar-winning film The Artist, has landed a deal with Gallery Books and will be releasing a memoir in October, we were excited. Who wouldn’t love a book by an adorable puppy who does awesome tricks — even if said animal can’t even speak English, much less write in it?
Uggie’s not the only animal to get into the book publishing business, though: the fake pet memoir has become a big fad in the past couple of years, and you wouldn’t believe some of the dogs, cats, and even chimpanzees that have gotten their life stories put into print. Check out this list of successful animal-penned books, some of which offer insight into your favorite celebrities’ lives and some of which are just plain, old cute.
Me Cheeta: My Life in Hollywood
Ghostwritten by James Lever, this book follows the career of Cheeta, the chimpanzee who starred in several Tarzan movies and a television series from the ’30s through the late ’60s. Although, like Lassie, Cheeta was actually played by a number of different chimpanzee actors, the book combines all the different chimps into one composite character and has been widely praised as a fantastic parody of the traditional Hollywood memoir.
Boo: The Life of the World’s Cutest Dog
If you’ve ever been on the Internet at all, you have probably seen Boo. Well, now you can get a series of images documenting his tiny, plush existence to put on your coffee table. Gaze in awe as he pokes his head around corners and squishes himself into tiny shelves! And in case you’re not convinced that Boo is an actual breathing animal and not a stuffed toy, watch this video where he meets with his book editor!
Less of a Boo person and more of a cat person? Well, the Internet has somebody else for you to fawn over in book form. Maru, the infamous box-jumping cat, has released this adorable series of pictures for your perusal.
The Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries: My Life Tailing Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton (remember her?) inspired a fashion trend when she got her tiny teacup Chihuahua, Tinkerbell. Suddenly everyone wanted the tiniest and frailest dog they could fit into their Gucci purses. And what did Tinkerbell get out of her living situation? A book deal, for starters, as well as an apparently glamorous life “tailing” Paris. Considering that the ghostwriter, Dr. Resin, has the dog saying words like “ubiquitous,” it seems quite possible that she has a larger vocabulary than her heiress owner.
My Secret Diary: From Swaziland to Neverland
Speaking of celebrity animals that you probably forgot about just after the tabloids did, remember Bubbles the chimp? He, too, tried to cash in on his relationship with Michael Jackson just after the King of Pop’s death, releasing a tell-all about his time at Neverland Ranch before he was deemed too dangerous to be considered a pet and moved to an animal sanctuary. Perhaps embittered by his fate, he “was not invited to Jackson’s funeral over fears he would be too violent,” according to the Telegraph . Apparently, Bubbles takes his famous-author cues from the likes of Ernest Hemingway.
Bo Obama: First Dog of the United States of America
There are a lot of children’s books about the Portuguese Water Dog that took America by storm in 2009, but this one is written from Bo’s point of view, apparently in crayon. It also features some coloring pages for the kids!
The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe
If you’re looking for something with a little more adult content, then look no further than this autobiography of Maf, short for “Mafia Honey.” Written by Andrew O’Hagan, it outlines the end of Marilyn Monroe’s life from the point of view of her pet dog, who was given to her by Frank Sinatra. For a canine, Maf is suprisingly eloquent — apparently he’s a Trotsky fan. Not that we would expect anything less from the furry companion of Norma Jean!