Horn Book (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2000)

A mother dog frantic because her pup makes every animal noise, it seems, but the appropriate one ("arf"), seeks help from a vet. In a creepy yet funny move, Herr Doktor snaps on his rubber glove and extracts a cat, duck, pig, etc., from the youngster's mouth until he's cured--or is he? Agile, boldly outlined characters enact the sly drama on flat backgrounds done in Easter-candy colors.

School Library Journal (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

PreS-Gr 2 What's to be done? When George's mother tells him to bark, the puppy meows then quacks, oinks, and finally moos! Like any good mother, the canine marches her son to the vet, who sets right to work. Reaching deep down George's throat, the vet pulls out a cat! But this does not solve the problem, and the doc continues his hilarious extractions. Deep inside his patient, he finds a duck, a pig, and even a cow. At last, when all are removed, George utters an "arf." Young readers will roar with laughter at this slapstick farce with simple line drawings, set against pastel backgrounds, which convey a full range of emotions. But the loudest laughs will come from the readers who share their lives with dogs. When the pup leaves the vet and joins the crowds of people on the street, his mother proudly tells him to bark. George's answer? "Hello!" No surprise to any dog owner who knows what's really deep inside that furry body. Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 1999)

Starred Review When measured against some of the glitzy picture books the year has produced, this one looks plain. There are no details to break up the flat colors used on the background. Even the characters are simply drawn, colored shapes determined by thick, black lines. But oh, the expression Feiffer manages to coax out of a few keen strokes. George's mother wants George the puppy to bark. When he meows instead, she scolds him: No, George. Cats go meow. Dogs go arf. But George can't seem to get it right--first quacking, then oinking, and finally mooing, as his mother becomes increasing distraught. Eventually, it's off to the vet, who literally gets to the bottom of things when he pulls an amazing assortment of beasts out of unsuspecting George's open mouth. What happens next is a wonderful surprise. Feiffer's characters are unforgettable, the text is brief and easy to follow, and the pictures burst with the sort of broad physical comedy that a lot of children just love. It all makes for a witty, laugh-out-loud play on the old favorite about the old lady who swallowed a fly. (Reviewed August 1999)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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. (June)