My Dog Has Fleas: A Ukulele Misadventure

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

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.)