Publishers Weekly
07/05/2021
Inspired by the ukulele tuning melody “My Dog Has Fleas,” included in the front matter, this humorous narrative features a curly-haired, tan-skinned ukulele player and their unnamed spotted, floppy-eared white dog. When the dog flees with a motley pack of fellow flea-infested canine friends, the narrator plays the ukulele, which inspires them all to come rushing back after running through trees and splashing in ponds—just in time for a bath. Employing onomatopoeia and the titular refrain, Barner leads readers through a rhyming adventure: “I beg my pooch, stop running please./ Woof! Woof! Woof! My dog has fleas!” Hazy, amorphous colors rendered in soft, near-pastel hues pop against plenty of white space as fine-lined ink and Japanese brush pens outline simple, comics-style canines. A fun and instructive romp. Back matter includes ukulele anatomy, the history of the instrument, and the full song and chords. End papers feature different types of ukes and their measurements. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
"Hazy, amorphous colors rendered in soft, near-pastel hues pop against plenty of white space as fine-lined ink and Japanese brush pens outline simple, comics-style canines. A fun and instructive romp."—Publishers Weekly
"Get ready for a rollicking, musical, flea-bitten read! . . . A nifty preschool read-aloud that blends early musical instruction with just plain fun." —Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal
05/14/2021
K-Gr 2—A child plays the ukulele while a dog (and a menagerie of dog friends) sings along. Soon the dogs begin to itch, and the chase is on to catch them for flea baths. "We run up hills and down the trails, grabbing at leashes and zigzagging tails." The rhyming couplets are paired with pen and ink drawings and spots of colored pastels that display the playful romp across double-page spreads through the book. Finally bathed, the ukulele players strike up their favorite tune, aptly titled "My Dog Has Fleas." Front and back matter provide more detail on ukuleles and the history of the titular song as a melody used for tuning. VERDICT A fun though slight story centering on a tuning song familiar to ukulele players. An additional purchase for picture book music shelves.—Ramarie Beaver, formerly at Plano P.L., TX
Kirkus Reviews
2021-06-02
Get ready for a rollicking, musical, flea-bitten read!
A young child with beige skin and curly, reddish-brown hair has an energetic dog who loves to romp with lots of doggy friends. Inevitably, the pooch contracts fleas at the park that “Chew! Chew! Chew!” and send all the dogs zooming, upsetting a picnic before splashing into a frog-filled pond. Such rowdy dogs! Told in first person, the exuberantly rhyming text recounts the exciting adventure, which culminates in a sudsy bath and a song: the titular “My Dog Has Fleas.” The child and friends play the song on ukuleles to the delight of all the dogs. Backmatter includes the history of the ukulele as well as tips and tricks on how to play the chords as well as the full lyrics to the song. Illustrations convey the energy and humor of the story through close-up perspectives, at dog’s-eye level, of the action. Full of pastel colors dotted with black specks that may convey the offending fleas, each spread invites a closer look to find all the dogs, individually named on an early spread. A later, parallel spread shows a ukulele up close, with all the parts individually labeled, as well as a few of the dogs. Simple, swift lines effectively convey the different personalities of each canine, bringing them all to life.
A nifty preschool read-aloud that blends early musical instruction with just plain fun. (Picture book. 3-5)
