Bark, George

George just does not seem to be able to learn to bark like a proper dog. Any animal's sound, except for a dog's, comes from his mouth. As his mother teaches him to the utmost of her ability and admonishes him with each mistake, the listener will begin to chuckle. When the exasperated mother dog takes George to the veterinarian, the listener will laugh out loud as the examination progresses. John Lithgow's narration is leisurely, leaving time for humor and for embellishments galore--both animated animal sounds and the vet's accent and antics. An upbeat score adds to the fun. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

June 7, 1999
In just a few pen strokes and just a few words, Feiffer (I Lost My Bear) outlines the playful scenario of a puppy who cannot say "arf." The images are striking, with no background details or props but the unobtrusive text. In the initial spreads, a big dog and a little one face each other from opposite sides of the book: "George's mother said: `Bark, George.' George went: `Meow.' " As George proceeds to quack, oink and moo, his dismayed mother grimaces and puts her paw on her head in the classic gimme-a-break gesture. She takes her afflicted son to a veterinarian, who snaps on a rubber glove and decisively repeats the title command. This time, when the pup meows, "The vet reached deep down inside of George... And pulled out a cat." Feiffer reverses the old-lady-who-swallowed-a-fly plot and boosts the giddiness with every barnyard animal removed from tiny George. The pen-and-ink close-ups of the dogs and vet are studies in minimalism and eloquence, and the characters' body language registers intense effort and amazement. Rather than being black-on-white, the illustrations get a boost from cool pastel hues. This pairing of an ageless joke with a crisp contemporary look will initiate many an animated game of animal sounds. Ages 2-6.