Here's a book that probably wouldn't have come about without the pandemic of 2020.

By March 2020, BBC sportscaster Andrew Cotter didn't have many upcoming broadcasts left on his calendar. In fact, all of his commitments were getting canceled, left and right. No golf, no rugby, no contests with large audiences or listeners. What was he to do?

As a joke, Andrew provided typical play-by-play commentary as he recorded his two Labradors, Olive and Mabel, wolfing down their kibble breakfasts. He posted it on social media a few weeks later, almost reluctantly. The video went viral, and people asked for more. So he began to film the duo more often, sometimes in regular dog play, sometimes in productions with a bit more staging. And voila! A trio of stars was born!

Quickly, a publisher recognized popular culture gold. Andrew agreed to a book deal, though he had never planned to write at length before. The finished product zipped through the process at warp speed, being released in the UK in mid-October 2020 and in the U.S. in early December. And yet: This is far from a fluff piece, and it was not printed with wide margins, large print, or short, repetitive chapters. It is a real memoir from a devoted "dog-guy" who tells us about his interactions with the animals he has known, both past and present. Of course, Olive and Mabel are his current companions, and naturally, they take center stage.

Andrew begins his story by outlining the many dogs that both sets of his grandparents had. As he grew up, his immediate family at times included a Yorkshire terrier named Humfrey, a Shetland sheepdog named Peerie, and a bullmastiff named Suilven, among others. When Andrew and his human partner Caroline decided to add a dog to their household, they chose to find a Labrador retriever puppy. Olive came first, strikingly black. Mabel arrived four years later, with her tan coat. And now we learn even more about their personalities and habits than we already gleaned from watching them online.

We learn a lot about their owner, too. In addition to loving dogs, Andrew also loves to hike up hills and mountains, especially among Scotland's "Munros." These are mountains that stand more than 3,000 feet in height. (Their nickname comes from British mountaineer Sir Hugh Munro [1859-1919], who started the list.) Scotland has 282 of them. Andrew has climbed a fair number, in all kinds of weather, and so have Olive and Mabel. Truly, these three have had some great adventures together.

If you've watched the videos, you'll recognize Andrew's quiet, Scottish voice, even here in his writing. He includes the sly and wry humor that we've already come to know. The text is occasionally accompanied by enough black and white photos to entertain the readers. After all, Olive and Mabel are black and white, themselves.

It seems as though Olive, Mabel and Andrew Cotter are more well known in the UK, Australia and Canada, than in the United States. Which is too bad. Since dog lovers can be found everywhere, the potential audience for this story is huge. Any kind of animal lover will enjoy Olive, Mabel & Me. Surely, this book (and the videos to date) won't be the last time we hear from this amusing trio, either. Readers and viewers can tell that Andrew may very well be just getting started with this new professional venture. Olive and Mabel will joyfully go along for the ride.