Bark, George

Rating:
Summary: A funny story your kids will love!
Review: So there's a misuse of words in the story...big deal. I don't feel that my daughter is going to use poor English just because one (very cute) book does. It's actually a good opportunity to teach her the correct way to use the words! The illustrations are adorable and I just love the expressions on George's mom's face when he can't spit out a proper "Arf." When she takes him to the vet to find out the problem, my daughter cracks up every time he pulls a different animal out of George's tummy. There's even a twist at the end that I didn't expect. If you like to read fun books to your kids and don't take them all too seriously, then you should love this book!

Rating:
Summary: Non-stop giggles
Review: The first time we read this book, my son laughed so hard that he got the Silent Giggles. The next seventy times we read this book, he laughed almost as hard. I cherish this book for the incredible fun it's given us.

Rating:
Summary: Spoken word(s)
Review: There are books that are fun to read aloud and there are books that are REALLY fun to read aloud. Author/illustrator Jules Feiffer is nothing if not an expert on the focused yet misleadingly simple picture book. Accompanying such a text with matching focused yet misleadingly simple illustrations, "Bark, George" is just one of those books that kids love in a twisted kind of way. Similar to the works of Shel Silverstein, the story follows one pup's crazy way of expressing himself.

George's mother is patient, but only up to a point. She is attempting to get George, her puppy, to speak. But the first time she asks him he replies, "Meow". The second time he does a quick "Quack-quack" and the third time it's a simple "Oink". By the time George gets to "Moo", his mother has had it. She takes him immediately to the doctor and when George says, "Meow", the doctor reaches into George's mouth and pulls out a cat. Next, he takes out a duck, followed by a pig, and finally (the doctor needs his longest latex glove for this one) a gigantic cow. To the joy of all, George immediately says "Arf" when asked to speak (though how the doctor knew not to pull out another dog from George's mouth we'll never know). Thrilled to death, his mother kisses everyone and takes George out into the street to show him off. The place is full of people, and George's mom instructs, "Bark, George". The final picture is of a small George saying, politely, "Hello".

Now the correct reading of this book to young 'uns depends on a lot of things. First of all, you need to be able to do each voice George produces appropriately. Next, you need to be able to play up the surprise ending in a successful way. What I love about this book is that most kids will get the gag at the end. They'll realize what it means when George says, "Hello". In a way, this book teaches kids how to get jokes. Priceless information too rarely given! Finally, this book is not for squeamish adults. I can see plenty of grown-ups freakin' out over the ramifications of George's internal contents. They'll see this story as a tale of a ravenous dog that will eat anything from pigs to people. Sensible readers won't see it that way, but I have to tell you to watch out for those parents that would protect their children against potentially hungry pups (I should point out that it's never clear in the story HOW George acquires all those animals down his throat).

It's good to have a sturdy collection of reliable read-aloud picture books to reference when you need them. Definitely consider adding "Bark, George" to such recent classics as "Duck on a Bike" and "Click, Clack, Moo" for your preschool speaking engagements. It is a charming story of one small pup that is far more than he initially seems.


Rating:
Summary: One of our favorites!
Review: This book is chosen by both our 4 yr old and our almost-2 yr old *all the time* for reading (and we have 4 shelves of kids books). The 4 yr old laughs with the "No, no -- dogs don't say 'quack'" and the 2 yr old loves any book with animal sounds -- whether they are the correct ones for the animal or not. Fun reading and the twists still make us laugh each time we read it.

Rating:
Summary: Our toddler LOVES this book
Review: This is a clever book that we enjoy reading. Our toddler especially loves the last page. If your child likes dogs, this one's a must. My only complaint is the word "George" is used entirely too much, so I'll substitue in "his" where appropriate.

Rating:
Summary: Delightful
Review: This is the story of a puppy that can't seem to bark - instead he makes other animal noises. His smart mother takes him to the vet who knows just how to correct the problem. This book makes for a quick read if you can stop giggling. The illustrations of the vet's expressions are very funny. The ending is a delightful surprise.