Ed & Fred Flea

by Pamela Duncan Edwards

As his brother prepares to leave the dog they share, Fred the greedy flea pretends to have the flu in order to stay behind and have the whole dog, unaware of the fate that awaits him

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Poetry, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 1999

About the author

Pamela Duncan Edwards is a British-born children's author living in the United States. She has written over forty picture books published in both the U.S. and the U.K., known for their playful language and engaging storytelling.

Reviews

[Hannah Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Ed and Fred Flea are two fleas who share living quarters on a dog. One day Fred decides he wants the whole dog to himself and refuses to leave when his brother cautions him that something is wrong. Fred refuses to listen and his selfish ways get him in trouble.

Evaluation: I believe this would be a good book to use to teach students about being selfish and what it means to have selfish qualities. This book shows what it means to be selfish in a child friendly way.

Teaching Ideas: This could even be a good writing prompt for students, because I’m sure, regardless of the age, that they have experienced selfish tendencies. They will begin to realize what a selfish tendency could look like and how they could avoid it.

[Jessica]

This is a book about two fleas who are brothers and live on top of a dog. The brothers are always fighting with each other and one day the dogs owners decided to get rid of them. One brother leaves, but the other stays because he thinks he will get to run the show now that his brother is gone. The brother who stays, dies. I think third graders will find this book funny, but I would be careful with the topic of death. This is also a story that is great for teaching the students a moral lesson. Since the brothers were always fighting, they did not listen to each other at a very important time. We need to be kind so we can help each other.

[Brittney Cayford]

Ed and Fred are brothers who are fleas. Their adventure starts when they leave their fur dog, Lou. They get into trouble and challenges at the beginning of their leave when they nearly escape the vacuum. This book is great for children, learning to explore and use their imagination. This book encourages adventure and friendship and teaches about overcoming obstacles and have the courage to try new things.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ed lived at one end of a dog, and Fred lives at the other end. Fred wanted all of the dog; head, end and middle. He devises a plan to get the entire dog from Ed. He payed no heed to the warning signs that trouble was brewing, and ignored Ed's pleas to leave the dog. His greed lead Fred to his comeuppance.

[Sydney Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is short and simple with lots of rhymes. This book would also be easy to have the students interact with and finish the sentence.

[Zoe Austin]

Ed & Fred Flea by Pamela Duncan Edwards is a quirky story about two fleas on a misadventure. It could be used in a classroom to explore themes of friendship and problem-solving in a lighthearted way.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

A silly rhyming story with an unfortunate ending. I, personally, am not a fan of 'comeuppance' themes.

[Vanessa Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about two fleas that live on a dog and one plans on leaving but the other one wants the whole dog to himself. He pretends to be sick and then ends up dying anyway because they used flea repellent. I thought this story was really interesting and I had never heard it before. I think this would make a good read-aloud to support the fact that we should not be greedy.
Author: Pamela Duncan Edwards
Illustrator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Hyperion September 25, 1999

[Libby Forgues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illustrator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Hyperion September 25, 1999

This has great rhyme and plays on words, vocabulary, and illustrations. This would be a good book to use to teach students about being selfish and what it means to have selfish qualities. This book shows what it means to be selfish in a child-friendly way. This could even be a good writing prompt for students.

[Lydia Bussell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a silly book. Fred is a greedy flea who wants the dog all to himself. This book can be used in young grades to encourage the students to share and be friendly with each other.

[Tori Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ed & Fred Flea" by Pamela Duncan Edwards is a whimsical and entertaining picture book that follows the misadventures of two flea friends, Ed and Fred. Through playful rhymes and lively illustrations, readers are taken on a humorous journey as Ed and Fred embark on a quest to find the perfect dog to call home. With its clever wordplay and endearing characters, "Ed & Fred Flea" is a delightful read-aloud that will tickle the funny bone of young readers and adults alike. This book is a charming celebration of friendship, perseverance, and the joy of finding a place to belong.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ed and Fred Flea share a dog, each owning one end. Fred, the bad flea, gets it into his head that he wants the whole dog. When one day Ed notices trouble coming, he tries to convince Fred they need to leave. Fred fakes having the flu and is too sick to leave the dog. When everyone else abandons the dog, Fred is thrilled. Unfortunately, a cloud of flea powder comes down.

Great, funny illustrations. Especially love the one of Fred slouching on his chair.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a humorous rhyming story of two flea brothers. Ed & Fred live on the same dog and share him equally. One of the fleas is fine with this but the other is greedy and wants the dog to himself so when his brother decides it is time to leave the dog and move on, the other fakes an illness so he can stay. In the end, his tricky plan backfires!

[Asho · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this story was cute, although my three-year-old didn't really seem to get it. He had so many questions about fleas and sickness and greed...for some reason this one just went over his head. I may try again in a few months.

[Sherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the rhyming and the illustrations were really cute.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about sharing. It is cute.

[Jamie]

A longer story for older kids

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, rhyming, story about two flea brothers living on the same dog. Both my boys (ages 4 & 8) enjoyed this book.

[Liberty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly book that students would really enjoy.

[Liam H]

this book is good