Chewed

Photographers Arne Svenson and Ron Warren--co-authors of the popular Sock Monkeys --here turn their attention to those masses of slobbered-over yarn, remnants and stuffing that ordinarily go the way of all pet toy casualties and get discarded without a second glance. Before their lenses, once-plush cuddly creatures and formerly bouncy rubber toys are transformed into intriguing eyeless, armless, one-legged sculptures--snatched, from the jaws, so to speak, of oblivion. A headless bunny rabbit, mutated plastic rat, masticated rubber hotdog or donut--each is a beloved pet's dream companion, transfigured by the sharp teeth and powerful jaws of the overinfatuated animal. Svenson and Warren have photographed the chewed victims in a formal yet irreverent style appropriate to the perspective of the pet; the result is a humorous appraisal of beauty, devotion and contentment. With more than 130 full-color photographs, Chewed includes delightful, twisted and poignant short stories by a variety of contributors writing about their favorite chewed creature, including writer Augusten Burroughs; artists Roz Chast, Maira Kalman, Rick Meyerowitz and William Wegman; designers Isaac Mizrahi and Todd Oldham; and food-world personality Andrew Zimmern.