The Story of the Spaniels.  
Writer Steve Lopez, lionized in the movie “The Soloist,” said this about the author of the anthology “Out of My Mind”: Most columnists, after two or three years of hacking, should be taken for a walk and pushed off a pier. Only the rare ones, like Elmer Smith, figure out the trick of staying fresh and relevant. Elmer writes half with his head and half with his heart. He comforts and provokes. Most importantly, he gets off his rump and reports, pounding pavement and rattling cages in the name of social justice. In the end, Elmer Smith’s great gift as a columnist is humanity.” This book is blessed with five original illustrations by Philadelphia Daily News colleague Signe Wilkinson.