Meet the Barkers: Morgan & Moffat Go to School

Barker Twins

by Tomie dePaola

Bossy Moffie and her quiet twin brother Morgie both enjoy starting school, especially getting gold stars and making new friends, in the first book of a series featuring the Barker twins.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Childrens, Fiction, Friendship, Dogs

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 9, 2001

About the author

Tomie dePaola (pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) was best known for his books for children.

He had a five-decade writing and illustrating career during which he published more than 270 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers.

Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Barker twins have very different personalities. Moffie is bossy and competitive while Morgan is more easygoing and friendly, so they experience the first week of school quite differently but still manage to learn to appreciate their sibling's different take on it.

It's not a bad story, but the characters never really took hold on me in this book or any of the others I read in their series, and my daughter seemed to lose interest in them quickly also.


FOR REFERENCE:

Rated "Indifferent" in our old book database by Rod; rated "Good" by Adelia.

[The Bougie Twins · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Great book for twins and their relationship as a twin.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the authors older books but this is a cute series and reminds me of my kids who are close in age somewhat like twins! One loves dinosaurs like Morgan and one loves to learn and talk and talk like Moffat.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading any Tomie DePaola books I have in my house to celebrate his life! Such a giant of an author for children. He will be missed.

[Shahd Rdawi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plus 💿

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid first-time-at-school book about a pair of twin dogs.

[Yvonne O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a perfect back to school book for twins!

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Morgan and Moffat, who are twins, attend an all-puppy school and have various kindergarten adventures.

[Angela (Kentuckybooklover) Brocato-Skaggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hornak, Roby Elementary, Kindergarten

[Rolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our boy/girl twins who are both in the same class loved this story about boy/girl twins in the same class.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgan and Moffat Barker are twins and starting their first time at school. Moffie tends to be a little bossy and wants to be first at things, so she earns a lot of gold stars. In the meantime, Morgie makes friends and has his chance at excelling. Both learn to help one another.
Great illustrations for this fun story.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been a cute story, but I did not like how the author made it seem as though kids could either make friends or do well in school, but not both. "But Moffie hadn't made any friends. She had been too busy getting gold stars." Instead of focusing on the fact that Moffie knew all the answers and was getting gold stars, the author should have stressed more that she was speaking out of turn and being rude to her classmates. Instead it seems as though being smart is the problem. That is not a message I want to send to children, and especially not to little girls.

[Michelle Farella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to read before starting school.

[Farah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Salah satu dari bukunya Tomie de Paola tentang seri The Barkers. Gue suka sama the Barkers ini. Kalo ngga salah, seri the Barkers pertama yang gue baca adalah yang satu lagi (gue cuma baca 2, jadi gue ngga tahu sebenernya The Barkers ini ada berapa seri..)

Ceritanya tentang si kembar yang sibuk menyiapkan diri mau ke sekolah. Repot-repot beli perlengkapan sekolah, dan hari-hari pertama mereka di sekolah.

Moffie (yang cewek) ternyata udah keliatan bakat ambisiusnya. Dia berusaha untuk selalu menjawab pertanyaan dari gurunya, tujuannya untuk mengumpulkan sebanyak mungkin bintang.
Sedangkan sodaranya, Morgie, bertingkah laku layaknya anak biasa, cari temen, sharing tentang kesukaannya dengan dinosaurus ke temen-temen barunya. Dan lain-lain. Sampe akhirnya, sodaranya, Moffie sadar bahwa dia malah ngga punya temen sama sekali soalnya sibuk ngumpulin bintang.

Tapi pada akhirnya, Moffie dapet temen juga. Dan hari-hari mereka di sekolah jadi bahagia.

Ah... seandainya sekolah memang semenyenangkan itu.. HAHAHAHA

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly good story. My 3 year old picked it off the shelf, but the lesson is aimed at slightly older children. In this story, Morgan and Moffat are twins. Moffie is a smart little girl who knows all of the answers and is very good at getting gold stars, but sometimes likes to act as a know-it-all. Her brother, Morgan, is more of a "go with the flow" kind of guy who loves dinosaurs and tries to avoid problems. Morgan doesn't get a lot of gold stars as school, but he has managed to make a number of friends by sharing his dinosaur book and being kind. One day, the tables turn as Morgan gets the gold star due to his knowledge of dinosaurs and Moffie has to learn to share while building a tower with a little girl. That day, they go home and are both so excited because Morgan has gotten a gold star and Moffie has made a friend. A sweet way to teach lessons about how to treat others and how to get along in a school environment.

[Skylar Burris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moral: If you're openly smart, thrive on competition, and focus most of your energy on excelling academically, you won't make many friends. If you're friendly to people and share things with them and don't argue with them, and if you don't seem like too much of a know-it-all, you will make friends.

True enough, I suppose. I'm not sure my daughter got the message, however. She just wanted to know if they both earned gold stars in the end, because earning gold stars is important. Yep. Chip off the old block.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun book by Tomie dePaola stars the Barkers. Morgan and Moffat are twins who are excited for their first day of school. Morgan is a friendly pup, and Moffat can be bossy and a bit of a know it all. Morgan finds it very easy to make friends, whereas Moffat finds it very easy to answer questions and get gold stars.
I loved the story by Tomie dePaola, and I loved the brother sister relationship of Morgie and Moffie. This is a very fun book to read with a good message about being well-rounded in school.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tomie dePaola has done a very good job of creating two memorable characters who, though twins, have very different personalities. These differences play out in realistic ways during the twins' time beginning in school, and the story develops in ways that are both edifying and entertaining to readers. Tomie dePaola has succeeded well in the production of this picture book.

[Sarah Kasper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meet the Barkers: Morgan and Moffat Go to School is about a pair of twins who are attending school for the first time and their different reactions to that experience. This story would be great to share with students, especially those who have a twin, because it explores the differences between the twins Morgan and Moffat, and that it is okay to have different reactions and feelings.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about twins where one is very smart and excels with book smart and the other is not as smart but is very good at making friends. They end up helping each other out at school. A good book for the students to read if they have siblings. I would recommend this book for upper level elementary students.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story and endearing illustrations by Tomie dePaola about the Barker twins, Moffat and Morgan, beginning school. dePaola creates a heart warming brother / sister relationship that works well with his large, gentle illustrations. A great beginning for a series that leaves you wanting more.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another 'get ready to go to school soon' book for my Abigail. I liked the 2 'tracks' one can take: achievement of knowledge or networking for friends.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this because my children are twins. It was a fun 'learning-to-read' book that my kids could relate to well.

[Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute, just like his others--the cute quality is something I find especially appealing....and his style is something I enjoy from reading his books growing up.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

little weird

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love this book it is like me and brooke

[Jacob Jasper · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really like this book

[Cassi Dick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book chilren can read in thier spare time and can be part of a classroom library. It shows the fun things you can do in school and can help get kids excited about shcool. k-2.