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Barkis
Family strife results when James' cocker spaniel puppy does not make friends with Nell Jean's tabby kitten
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1938
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
May 15, 2020
The excitement of a new puppy leaps off the page and brings forth nostalgic memories of first pets and sibling rivalry. This Caldecott Honor book gives the reader a sweet story with a message of sharing and caring. The simple yet gorgeous illustrations will appeal to animal lovers.
January 16, 2018
I think the art is lovely in this old book. There is one page of text and the other page is generally an animal.
A family gets a puppy for the boys birthday. The girl in the story has a kitten already. She hadn't shared her kitty and he didn't want to share the dog. Ends up the dog gets out of the house and after a rescue they decide to share the dog and the cat.
A simple story from the late 30s. The kids had little reaction to it. They were a little restless.
A family gets a puppy for the boys birthday. The girl in the story has a kitten already. She hadn't shared her kitty and he didn't want to share the dog. Ends up the dog gets out of the house and after a rescue they decide to share the dog and the cat.
A simple story from the late 30s. The kids had little reaction to it. They were a little restless.
June 18, 2019
A simple story about a little boy on his 9th birthday. Just as bedtime approaches and he feels sad that his birthday is over he hears his uncle's car arrive. In the box he brings is the best present this boy can imagine. The excitement of receiving a puppy is overwhelming and he argues with his sister who wants to share the puppy. After a few days something happens that makes the boy want to share after all.
This was a lovely story and the illustrations are absolutely beautiful.
Read on openlibrary
This was a lovely story and the illustrations are absolutely beautiful.
Read on openlibrary
November 20, 2017
Caldecott Honor 1939
Reading these aged Caldecott books has been such an interesting reading adventure. It has taught me that through these older books, you can get a little glimpse into a time that has passed, a culture that has changed. Much like looking at antiques, I have learned to view these books with a different perspective. It would be easy to simply slap a one or two star on many of these older books, because they simply don't appeal to our generation, but when you begin to look at them as though they are to be cherished, because they are old and were were once loved by people, you begin to see the beauty in the writing and illustrations.
Barkis is one of the oldest Caldecott books. It was published in 1938, the year the very first Caldecott awards were given, and won its honor in 1939. It takes about 15 minutes to read this nostalgic story. While I was reading it, I actually felt like it was written more recently because of its text that read so smoothly and kept me wanting to turn the pages. It was a very warm and sweet read that showed themes of sharing, jealousy, truthfulness and the precious relationship between a young brother and sister. I would have given this a five star if the illustrations were more interpreting to the story. They were beautiful, but many did not really show you what you were reading. However, I feel as though this story has stood the test of time and should be considered a wonderful children's classic.
Reading these aged Caldecott books has been such an interesting reading adventure. It has taught me that through these older books, you can get a little glimpse into a time that has passed, a culture that has changed. Much like looking at antiques, I have learned to view these books with a different perspective. It would be easy to simply slap a one or two star on many of these older books, because they simply don't appeal to our generation, but when you begin to look at them as though they are to be cherished, because they are old and were were once loved by people, you begin to see the beauty in the writing and illustrations.
Barkis is one of the oldest Caldecott books. It was published in 1938, the year the very first Caldecott awards were given, and won its honor in 1939. It takes about 15 minutes to read this nostalgic story. While I was reading it, I actually felt like it was written more recently because of its text that read so smoothly and kept me wanting to turn the pages. It was a very warm and sweet read that showed themes of sharing, jealousy, truthfulness and the precious relationship between a young brother and sister. I would have given this a five star if the illustrations were more interpreting to the story. They were beautiful, but many did not really show you what you were reading. However, I feel as though this story has stood the test of time and should be considered a wonderful children's classic.
June 18, 2019
Most modern children will think it's too young for them (if they're 'just turned 9) or too long (if they're getting picturebooks read to them). But I would have loved it when I was little. Nothing much happens, but a little slice of life is captured perfectly, and the sentimental drawings are adorable.
July 27, 2020
A delightful slice of life -- I just feel I know these kids and these animals so well even though we are just dropped in the middle of a birthday. Really captures the feelings of children with sensitivity and skill. It is sweet, exciting, suspenseful, and, ultimately, as heartwarmingly cheerful as a puppy :-) The illustrations are lovely, too.
PS If you stumbled across this while looking for the recently published Barkus do yourself a favor and read this one instead (or, at least, in addition to!)
PS If you stumbled across this while looking for the recently published Barkus do yourself a favor and read this one instead (or, at least, in addition to!)
March 25, 2011
I didn't like this one quite as much as April's Kittens. This was published in 1938 and won a Caldecott Honor in 1939, the second year the award was given. Unlike April's Kittens, this felt dated in quite a few places. The story focuses more on sibling rivalry than the pets, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I just didn't enjoy it as much. I did love the illustrations, though. I wanted to reach right into the book and pet the very soft and cuddly Barkis, a cocker spaniel puppy!
Clare Turlay Newberry won two other Caldecott Honor awards: Marshmallow and T-Bone, the Baby-Sitter. My library doesn't have them, but I'll keep my eye out for a chance to read them someday.
Clare Turlay Newberry won two other Caldecott Honor awards: Marshmallow and T-Bone, the Baby-Sitter. My library doesn't have them, but I'll keep my eye out for a chance to read them someday.
November 21, 2012
This book won a 1939 Caldecott Honor award, the first of four for the author. "Barkis" is the story of a nine year old boy named James and his birthday presents. The best one is from his Uncle Jim, who brings him a soft fluffy brown cocker spaniel puppy named Barkis. Because of the puppy, there is instant sibling rivalry between James and his sister Nell Jean. Even his sister's cat Edward and Barkis do not get along at first. Barkis goes outside the house for the first time the day after James' birthday and falls in the cold stream, only to be rescued and cared for by Nell Jean. After this, James agrees to share Barkis with his sister. This book has her awesome charcoal and painted illustrations. I like that she was influenced by Japanese painting techniques, especially the artist Hokusai. Recommended for ages 4-7, 3 stars.
July 13, 2015
While there aren't a lot of illustrations in this book about getting a puppy for a birthday gift, the pictures that are there are soft and warm and feel very real. There's something comforting in this book as I read it, and the story is sweet and gentle, dealing with the very real emotions of jealousy and the difficulty that comes in sharing sometimes. This is a book that stands up to the test of time and is still a joy to pick up.
January 9, 2012
Caldecott Honor Book, 1938
Favorite line: At once Barkis was on top of him, licking his face, nipping his ears, and tugging at his clothes and hair, all the while growling delightedly."
Favorite illustration: page 21
Favorite line: At once Barkis was on top of him, licking his face, nipping his ears, and tugging at his clothes and hair, all the while growling delightedly."
Favorite illustration: page 21
January 26, 2020
Excited at the prospect of turning nine, James enjoys everything about his birthday, from the gifts he is given to the cake his mother bakes for him. But the highlight of the day comes when his Uncle Jimmy arrives with a cocker spaniel puppy named Barkis. Immediately won over by this soft-furred little being, with his pleading eyes and eager tail, James resists the idea of sharing the puppy with his sister Nell Jean. After all, she has never shared her striped kitten Edward with him! But when Barkis wanders off and a crisis ensues, James and Nell Jean both learn an important lesson about sharing, and about the love animals bring to our lives.
Originally published in 1938, and chosen as a Caldecott Honor Book in 1939 - Clare Turlay Newberry would go on to win three additional Caldecott Honors, for Marshmallow , April's Kittens and T Bone, The Baby Sitter - this lovely book spins an engaging tale, but it is the artwork (appropriately enough) that is the true star. Soft charcoal drawings - full page illustrations are paired with pages of text - capture the winsome appeal of both Barkis and Edward. I particularly liked the scene in which Edward is grooming Barkis - so adorable! - and the scene in which he is grooming himself. Some of the content here felt a little dated - the way the family interacts, some of the language used (Barkis is a "swell" puppy) - but not so much that it detracts from the appeal of story and art. Recommended to young animal lovers, as well as to children who are having a little difficulty sharing, or who are experiencing some sibling rivalry.
Originally published in 1938, and chosen as a Caldecott Honor Book in 1939 - Clare Turlay Newberry would go on to win three additional Caldecott Honors, for Marshmallow , April's Kittens and T Bone, The Baby Sitter - this lovely book spins an engaging tale, but it is the artwork (appropriately enough) that is the true star. Soft charcoal drawings - full page illustrations are paired with pages of text - capture the winsome appeal of both Barkis and Edward. I particularly liked the scene in which Edward is grooming Barkis - so adorable! - and the scene in which he is grooming himself. Some of the content here felt a little dated - the way the family interacts, some of the language used (Barkis is a "swell" puppy) - but not so much that it detracts from the appeal of story and art. Recommended to young animal lovers, as well as to children who are having a little difficulty sharing, or who are experiencing some sibling rivalry.
February 3, 2012
1939 Caldecott Honor
Favorite illustration: The dedication page illustration with the cat and dog curled up together
Favorite line: "And how Barkis did eat! He had no table manners whatsoever."
Kid-appeal: It seemed a bit long for me and not terribly exciting from a plot perspective. As always, cute, soft focus illustrations from Clare Newberry, but probably the least favorite of the stories that I have read from her (Barkis, April's Kittens, Marshmallow).
Favorite illustration: The dedication page illustration with the cat and dog curled up together
Favorite line: "And how Barkis did eat! He had no table manners whatsoever."
Kid-appeal: It seemed a bit long for me and not terribly exciting from a plot perspective. As always, cute, soft focus illustrations from Clare Newberry, but probably the least favorite of the stories that I have read from her (Barkis, April's Kittens, Marshmallow).
January 13, 2012
While the story was a bit long and drawn out, I really did like the wonderful illustrations of Barkis, the cocker spaniel. James gets the puppy from his Uncle Jimmy for his birthday and he spends quite a bit of time fighting with his sister, Nell Jean, over pets as she, too, has a pet in her cat, Edward. When an accident happens to Barkis, both siblings realize what is more important than their fighting.
February 7, 2014
Caldecott Honor Book, 1938
I loved this book! I really, really love the illustrations. I want to take Barkis home with me. In this story, James gets a new dog named Barkis. His sister, Nell Jean, wants to share the dog. But James doesn't want to share. Nell Jean is angry, and she nearly lets something terrible happen to Barkis. A sweet, realistic story. And the illustrations are just wonderful. I can see why this was an honor book.
I loved this book! I really, really love the illustrations. I want to take Barkis home with me. In this story, James gets a new dog named Barkis. His sister, Nell Jean, wants to share the dog. But James doesn't want to share. Nell Jean is angry, and she nearly lets something terrible happen to Barkis. A sweet, realistic story. And the illustrations are just wonderful. I can see why this was an honor book.
November 5, 2012
I'm not sure that my kids need the suggestion of a pet for a birthday present. In any event this early Caldecott honoree mostly shows how far picture books have come both in illustration and narrative from the 1930's. Pictures are reminiscent of a figure drawing manual and the story is a little disconcerting.
October 17, 2013
This book is so nostalgic and sweet, it deserves four stars or five. Great sibling book.
The story is a nine year old boy gets a puppy and he learns to share the puppy with his older sister.
The story is a nine year old boy gets a puppy and he learns to share the puppy with his older sister.
January 13, 2018
• 1939 Caldecott Honor Book •
This is a cute book - it’s hard to go wrong with a story about a puppy and kitten. I was delighted to read these phrases: “he’s snoofing in my neck” and “he barked saucily”.
James gets a puppy for his birthday, and this starts a mini war with his sister who has a kitten. James doesn’t want to share the puppy, but feelings change when the puppy has an accident.
I like the illustrations (charcoal?) but I don’t love them. The only illustration I love is the one of Barkis in a towel. The rest seem like sketches for final drawings - they just have an incomplete quality to them.
The text is long which is typical for an older children’s book, but easy to read and flowed really well.
Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: Weiss Antiqua
This is a cute book - it’s hard to go wrong with a story about a puppy and kitten. I was delighted to read these phrases: “he’s snoofing in my neck” and “he barked saucily”.
James gets a puppy for his birthday, and this starts a mini war with his sister who has a kitten. James doesn’t want to share the puppy, but feelings change when the puppy has an accident.
I like the illustrations (charcoal?) but I don’t love them. The only illustration I love is the one of Barkis in a towel. The rest seem like sketches for final drawings - they just have an incomplete quality to them.
The text is long which is typical for an older children’s book, but easy to read and flowed really well.
Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: Weiss Antiqua
November 15, 2017
Not to be confused with Challah bread.
It's interesting to see the evolution of picture books. This was clearly aimed at young children, with characters of 9 and 10 and a half years old. There are large, somewhat dated images. There's not a lot of color, with everything brown and gray. There's no background, just floating animals and dishes and things. The illustrations are definitely cute. I would guess that they are paintings of some kind, or possibly pastels.
The massive amount of text is rather overwhelming, though. In a spread, the right side might be a puppy, and nothing else. A fairly good picture of a puppy, a spaniel of some kind. Not photorealistic or anything, but definitely identifiable as a puppy. Cute. And the left side is just this wall of text. Given that it was published in 1938, we've come a long way as far as children's literature is concerned.
The text is very well-written, especially compared to other books of the time. While there's a lot of text, it has a lot of personality to it. The characters have a lot of emotions. They're "begging", saying things "fiercely", "jeering", getting in arguments with each other.
Basically, the story is as follows. A little boy, for his 9th birthday, gets a puppy named Barkis from his uncle. His sister, a year and a half older, has a kitten. Since everybody loves puppies, she wants to share the puppy with him. He goes, "No, you never share your kitten with me." Later she suggests that maybe the puppy could be half his and half hers, and the kitten could be half hers and half his, and he rejects that entirely. Then the next day, the boy is looking for a ball to play with upstairs, and the puppy and his sister are downstairs, and his sister watches the puppy open the front door and go out by himself. She considers helping him, but decides that he's not her puppy, so he's not her responsibility. The puppy falls in the creek and she runs out and rescues him, feeling guilty the whole time. The family is worried about the dog because he's so young and so cold, and it's not good for tiny puppies to be that cold, and they decide to share the puppy even though the girl thinks the whole thing is her fault.
Message: Take care of animals when they're young because the world is a dangerous place.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
It's interesting to see the evolution of picture books. This was clearly aimed at young children, with characters of 9 and 10 and a half years old. There are large, somewhat dated images. There's not a lot of color, with everything brown and gray. There's no background, just floating animals and dishes and things. The illustrations are definitely cute. I would guess that they are paintings of some kind, or possibly pastels.
The massive amount of text is rather overwhelming, though. In a spread, the right side might be a puppy, and nothing else. A fairly good picture of a puppy, a spaniel of some kind. Not photorealistic or anything, but definitely identifiable as a puppy. Cute. And the left side is just this wall of text. Given that it was published in 1938, we've come a long way as far as children's literature is concerned.
The text is very well-written, especially compared to other books of the time. While there's a lot of text, it has a lot of personality to it. The characters have a lot of emotions. They're "begging", saying things "fiercely", "jeering", getting in arguments with each other.
Basically, the story is as follows. A little boy, for his 9th birthday, gets a puppy named Barkis from his uncle. His sister, a year and a half older, has a kitten. Since everybody loves puppies, she wants to share the puppy with him. He goes, "No, you never share your kitten with me." Later she suggests that maybe the puppy could be half his and half hers, and the kitten could be half hers and half his, and he rejects that entirely. Then the next day, the boy is looking for a ball to play with upstairs, and the puppy and his sister are downstairs, and his sister watches the puppy open the front door and go out by himself. She considers helping him, but decides that he's not her puppy, so he's not her responsibility. The puppy falls in the creek and she runs out and rescues him, feeling guilty the whole time. The family is worried about the dog because he's so young and so cold, and it's not good for tiny puppies to be that cold, and they decide to share the puppy even though the girl thinks the whole thing is her fault.
Message: Take care of animals when they're young because the world is a dangerous place.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
June 20, 2016
Read this to my 5 year old daughter as we gradually work our way through the Caldecott winners and honor books. This one was an honors book from 1939.
This one is a lot more words than pictures almost to the point where one could hesitate over whether to place it in juvenile fiction or picture books. The illustrations throughout don't tell much of the story and generally just feature Barkis the pup or Edward the cat not doing anything in particular while the words tell the story.
It is a bit dated. But, it isn't as painfully dated as it could be. The sibling interaction isn't too far off from sibling interaction we'd expect today.
It's long for a picture book, for us it was around a 20 minute read.
Ideal audiences are people trying to complete the Caldecott list, fans of vintage dog books and maybe ambitious young readers who are almost ready for chapter books and really fond of dog stories.
This one is a lot more words than pictures almost to the point where one could hesitate over whether to place it in juvenile fiction or picture books. The illustrations throughout don't tell much of the story and generally just feature Barkis the pup or Edward the cat not doing anything in particular while the words tell the story.
It is a bit dated. But, it isn't as painfully dated as it could be. The sibling interaction isn't too far off from sibling interaction we'd expect today.
It's long for a picture book, for us it was around a 20 minute read.
Ideal audiences are people trying to complete the Caldecott list, fans of vintage dog books and maybe ambitious young readers who are almost ready for chapter books and really fond of dog stories.
October 5, 2017
This book sort of put me over the edge when it comes to Clare Turlay Newberry. Despite her engaging text, she manages to paint the least interesting parts of her story into each and every illustration. Sure, it’s impressive that she can paint such a realistic and cute little dog, but what child wants to see the same dog in ten different poses when he could be looking at scenes of the dog’s master fighting with his sister, or of any of the other interesting moments of the story? I don’t think of this book as a picture book, and I’m confused as to why such repetitive and sparse illustrations were repeatedly given awards!
October 30, 2024
Barkis is written and illustrated by Clare Newberry. This story is about Johnny who shares a deep friendship with his dog, Barkis. The plot begins with the introduction of their joyful life together, highlighting the special moments that define their relationship. As the story unfolds, the rising action occurs when the siblings argue over Barkis resulting in the mishap, but the children learn about sharing and caring. This conflict creates tension and emotional struggle throughout the book. The illustrations aren't as interpreting to the story but the old book look is still very engaging. Since it is older, it does have a very formal arrangement but that adds a touch of nostalgia to the story. The story is also a bit old-fashioned due to the language used, but it is still a lovely book with a nice story and overall lesson. Something that I also loved about this book was how detailed the illustrations are, making them look very realistic. Although there’s not a lot of color with everything brown, black, white, and gray within these illustrations it’s still eye-catching due to the detailing. These illustrations are also just floating images with just one thing pictured rather than having background details like newer picture books.
November 13, 2023
Loved this book so much when I was in third grade that I wanted to “lose” it from the library so I could keep it forever. (Never acted on the impulse so was NOT naughty!) However, finding the book recently made me realize why I had been drawn to getting a cocker spaniel as our very dog with my own kids. Books really have an impact on our lives! (And I was really reminded of the way we talked back on the early 60’s!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2020
1939 Caldecott Honor - Favorite Illustration: The picture of Nell Jean with the kitten crawling on her shoulder.
A sweet little tale of a boy and his sister and their interactions when the boy receives a new puppy for his birthday. Not a big story with a huge plot, more of a "day in the life" telling. The pictures are adorable as well.
A sweet little tale of a boy and his sister and their interactions when the boy receives a new puppy for his birthday. Not a big story with a huge plot, more of a "day in the life" telling. The pictures are adorable as well.
April 2, 2022
A 1938 Caldecott-winning children’s book. The story focuses on an 9-year-old boy who gets a puppy for his birthday and must learn to share him with his older sister. Solid story and illustrations.Newberry specializes in stories about pets, especially cats. All of Newberry’s books are good, but apart from being focused on a dog instead of a cat, this wasn’t a standout to me among her books.
January 13, 2018
The book was written in the 1930s and it is interesting to see the change in children's picture books. This pictures are sweet and soft, but mostly shades of brown. The story is simple, James gets a puppy and doesn't want to share him with his sister. They both learn a lesson in the end.
July 28, 2025
Fascinating. It's interesting to compare a book written in 1938 to present day. There are a lot less pictures and more text. Hard to tell the age group this one is targeting. The illustrations have that vintage feeling.
January 12, 2018
A sweet tale of a little girl and her new puppy. Graceful pastel and chalk illustrations accompany the historical text. The tale of learning to share is timeless.
July 23, 2018
Not my favorite of hers. Lovely illustrations, but the story wasn't great.
December 16, 2019
Good little story wherein a brother & sister work out their conflict over new pets.
Very nice illustrations.
Very nice illustrations.
March 7, 2020
This books teaches you that you always have to care fore each other even if you don’t like each other.
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