Bark, George

The pages are torn throughout the book. Some pages are on the verge of falling out.

Most kids books fall into that mediocre range. Good enough to entertain children when given a decent reading by an adult, but nothing that sticks with you. I suspect all parents have this moment when they are reading books to their kids. The point where they think, "I could write kids books." And, in fact, most of us could, and they would be no worse than most of what's out there. Look at the books churned out by celebrities, for example. They're not great, but not much off the mark of everything else out there. But then you have the exceptions. The best kids books have an illusion of simplicity, but have a special magical quality. Jules Feiffer, with "Bark, George," has produced a book that rises above the rest. It's an effortless read which you can fly through at a rapid pace. But that simplicity is deceptive. Much in the spirit of Charles Shultz, Feiffer is able to draw crude, minimalist figures that manage to have depth, spunk, and charm. First there is the dog saying "meow," and "oink-oink" and "moo." When the exasperated mother dog takes her son to the vet, things get more surreal, and more hilarious. The vet, bespectacled and pony-tailed, wearing the classic white coat, gloves up and begins to remove animals from the "deep down inside of George." Don't worry, he goes the upper GI route, not from below. The expressions on everyone's face, including the animals being extracted, is brilliant and hilarious. The illustration of the mother dog kissing the vet is amusing but very touching as well. This is the most I've enjoyed Feiffer since he animated the transcripts of the Chicago Eight trial. This book has been a huge hit in my house. I give myself partial credit as well, since I think my high energy reading really adds to the effect. But the real kudos go to the Feiffster, who taps into a child's imagination with the skills of a Schultz, Seuss, or Silverstein.

My reputation as the "uncle with the knack for picking good children's books" remains intact after I sent this book to a not-quite-two-year-old nephew. Not only did it entertain him, but it caused his older brother to laugh out loud as well. Thanks for the lead on this smart, deceptively simple, entertaining book!

My 2-year old daughter loves this book. She giggles the whole time she "reads" it to me word for word. It's simple and fun and great to share.

My niece and nephew love this book -- they laugh out loud at every non-bark George utters and the twist ending sends them rolling off the couch in a giggling fit. This is the best babysitting tool in my repetoire.

As someone who deals with children's books every day, this book is rare and wonderful. No lessons, no morals, just fun. It is wonderful to watch the expressions on people's faces listening to this charming story, and adults love it as much as children.