Smart George: A Colorful and Imaginative Picture Book About a Dog Learning Numbers for Kids

by Jules Feiffer

Everyone’s favorite dog is back in the much-anticipated follow-up to Bark, George from celebrated author-illustrator Jules Feiffer.

When George’s mother asks her pup to add one plus one, two plus two, and three plus three, George would rather eat, go for a walk, and take a nap. But soon George finds himself in a colorful dream about…numbers! Can George count his way out?

Featuring laugh-out-loud humor and expressive and bold illustrations from acclaimed author-illustrator and Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist Jules Feiffer, this imaginative follow-up to Bark, George is the perfect read-aloud for children ready to learn their numbers.

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Counting, Childrens, Mathematics, Animals, Number

40 pages, Hardcover

Published June 2, 2020

About the author

Jules Feiffer was an American cartoonist, playwright, screenwriter, and author whose work left a significant imprint on American satire and cultural commentary. Emerging from the postwar era of newspaper comics, he first gained recognition through his long-running comic strip published in The Village Voice, where his loose, expressive line drawings and psychologically sharp dialogue captured the anxieties, contradictions, and social performances of contemporary life. Feiffer used humor to critique politics, relationships, and everyday neuroses, developing a voice that felt conversational, self-aware, and deeply engaged with the shifting cultural moods of the United States. His graphic style, which often emphasized gesture and tone over detailed renderings, was equally distinctive, and helped expand the visual vocabulary of editorial and literary cartooning. Beyond his cartoons, Feiffer became an accomplished writer for stage and screen; his play Little Murders offered a darkly comic exploration of violence and alienation in urban America, while his screenplay for Mike Nichols’s film Carnal Knowledge drew widespread attention for its unflinching examination of intimacy and desire. Feiffer also wrote children’s books, including the popular The Phantom Tollbooth, for which he provided the illustrations that helped establish the book’s imaginative visual identity. He demonstrated an enduring commitment to making art accessible, engaging with students and general audiences alike through teaching and public appearances, and continued producing work across multiple genres throughout his life. His comics and writings were often autobiographical in spirit, even when fictionalized, providing commentary on his experiences growing up in New York and moving through decades of cultural change. Feiffer received numerous honors for his contributions to American arts, including major awards recognizing his innovation in cartooning, his influence on graphic storytelling, and his impact on theater and film. His later work included longer-form graphic novels and personal memoirs, reflecting on childhood, family, and the evolution of his artistic voice. Feiffer remained an active and inquisitive creator well into his later years, consistently exploring new creative forms and responding to contemporary political and social issues. His legacy is seen in the work of generations of cartoonists and writers who drew inspiration from his willingness to bring emotional depth, social critique, and literary ambition to comics and satire. Feiffer’s work stands as a testament to the power of humor to illuminate the complexities of human behavior and the cultural forces that shape everyday life.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

what the FUCK is George tripping on

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this to be rather chaotic and disappointing. Honestly, pass on it if your patrons aren’t requesting it. It might circ... but do you want it to?

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't understand the negative reviews. This is creative, original, a breath of surreally fresh air for the picture book audience. Let the kids have something they've not seen before! Let them embrace their crazy dreams!

[Maeve · Rating 1 out of 5]

George is losing his mind...

Is George napping or tripping on acid?

[Michal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, the pictures were nice.

[Abby Johnson]

What an odd book, but you'd expect nothing less! George's mother wants him to practice his math skills, but George always has something else that needs doing first until he falls asleep and math takes over his dream. Kids learning new skills and feeling pressure from parents to perform for friends and family will relate.

[Malissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's great to see these characters again! Quite different tonally from the first, but that is because Feiffer would not be satisfied to rehash the initial successful story structure to sell books. If you view this strictly as a counting book, you will be disappointed. It rambles a bit and is abstract. More than just using the characters as a vehicle for learning numbers, he deepens the characters' personalities in very satisfying ways. It is a bit odd that Feiffer chose to include counting in the book at all, as opposed to another story about the relationship between the mother dog and her puppy. But WHO AM I TO QUESTION JULES FEIFFER? :)

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bark George is better.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite dog is back!!!!

But, slightly disappointed. (Although nothing could have been as great as the original, and happy to see all the characters back!)

[Margo Tanenbaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the many negative reviews here on Goodreads, I really liked this sequel to Bark, George, a storytime classic, and I can't wait to try this one out at storytime when we are able to have library programs again. I liked the way Feiffer used a similar rhythm to Bark George at the beginning of the book; but when George takes a nap he goes into a crazy dream sequence. I liked it--it reminded me of the dream sequences with the Heffalumps and Woozles in Winnie the Pooh of the dream sequence in Dumbo. I especially liked the way he worked in all the characters from Bark George into the dream sequence. The proof will be in the pudding, as they say, when I see how it goes with an audience of preschoolers.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book by THE Jules Feiffer!!!!!!!!! When I saw two picture books by him at my public library, I could hardly believe it.

I'll comment about him below, to fill in some info for any of you Goodreaders who aren't yet familiar with this brilliant, brilliant artist.

ON THE FRONT INSIDE FLAP OF THE JACKET, TWO FACTS

* This book is Number 9 on "School Library's Journal's" list of the Top 100 Picture Books.

* This book is named one of 100 Great Children's Books by the New York Public Library.

POWERFULLY EVOCATIVE DIALOG, and pictures, RIGHT FROM THE START

Feiffer's simple line drawings are soooooooooooo expressive, so lively.

And his dialog goes straight to the character's point of view. Bull's eye, every time.

A FANTASTIC QUOTE, THAT GETS BETTER IF YOU'RE SEEING THE ART

Meanwhile, enjoy this sample. For context, imagine the puppy, Smart George, having a bit of a nightmare, replete with talking trees who are teaching him math. From George:

"Mother! Come and tell these trees how much you need me."

A FABULOUS PICTURE BOOK THAT MOSTLY RECOUNTS A NIGHTMARE

A dog's nightmare.

A nightmare about doing math.

Jules Feiffer, thank you for imagining this weird, yet right-on picture book, maybe a parable about learning... pretty much anything. Sometimes.

[Jermaine Ross · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has an argumentative puppy that antagonized learning to add. It serves no purpose other than to teach children that math is hard and that math should be hated. It also encourages children to make excuses when things are hard. The adult figures in the story nag and nag the puppy about learning to add in a way that is annoying. This book is difficult to read because it causes anxiety in the reader when the puppy grows more angry and argumentative with every page. And the "adults" becoming more nagging every page. As an educator,
a math teacher, and as a dad, I can not see the purpose of this book ever being written or approved for publication. The author should never write for children. I looked him up and one of his books is titled, KILL MY MOTHER. Wow. That should tell you plenty about this writer. Never read this book to a child.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations but really disappointed with the developmental education. A mother is trying to teach a he son to count but he wants to do other things. So in a dream he is forced to count until he gets to ten. Then he can for a walk. Strange thing is that what he wants to do that are probably developmentally appropriate for him to do and the counting that mom wants him to do is something he’s not ready for. He accomplishes it and counts on the walk but I don’t believe he has the concept of numbers and counting down as mom wants. Made me angry and I dint think it’s usual for people to force kids to do this. Homeschooling?

[ASE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personally, I think some of the reviews for this book are a bit harsh. It's an ok book. Unfortunately, if you were hoping for a follow-up to Bark, George! which became an instant storytime classic, this isn't it. I think it was a cute enough book about math anxiety, but with that said, it's also what I might call a horror picture book. George kind of got scared into doing math...But regardless, if I read this book having never heard of Bark George, I probably would rate it three stars. It's an ok book. I wouldn't use it in storytime because it's kind of creepy. If your kid struggles with math anxiety, pick it up, maybe.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian]

This is imaginative play. Reminds me of Mo Willem's I Will Take a Nap!. It does read better following the original - Bark, George. We also had the song, There's a Dog in School by Stuart Stotts and Tom Pease, between the books. I thought it worked very well together.

2026 storytime theme: Jules Feiffer

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book literally made me cackle out loud-- George is a very smart puppy, but doesn't always want to apply it when asked. When he decides to snooze, the counting trees in his dream won't let him off the leash until he can count up to ten! George's excuses are a hoot, and the characters that appear in his counting dream are so delightfully random! Smart George is far more than just a counting book!

[Kate M. Colby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack asked to borrow this book from the library because he loves numbers. He was very disappointed to open it up and not see any! All the numbers are written out, which is disappointing when you're three and can't read yet. I appreciate that it was trying to teach basic addition, but the way it was written was rather chaotic and didn't really help lay out the concept. The whole dream sequence was kind of wacky and hard to follow, and Jack quickly lost interest.

[Nora · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugg. I was trying to imagine that kids may like the trippy dream scene more than me, but then this line: "But we live in the city George, we don't have many trees." What the heck? There are plenty of trees in the city, Jules. Sooooooooo bummed as I was looking forward to another adventure with George. Hard pass. Don't even tell the Bark, George fans that it exists.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bark George is one of my favorite picture books. I read it during my first children's librarian interview nine years ago (and got the job!), so it holds a special place in my heart. I was really excited when I saw this come in with our new books, but ended up disappointed. It doesn't have the charm of the original and left me kind of confused.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOODNESS ... anyone who knows me knows how much I loved Bark, George! --- and now, just a mere 21 years later we have Smart, George! I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK! Feiffer provides us with a wonderful George .. who hasn't really changed at all ... learning his numbers.

You will fall in love with George all over again ... and cat, and cow, and the vet ........

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to agree with the consensus that this book is a huge letdown after the wonderful "Bark George." I didn't mind the trippiness per se, but the book didn't really make sense to me, mathematically or otherwise! My 5 year old didn't seem to mind, but I'd advise readers to revisit Bark George instead of reading this book.

[Cory · Rating 1 out of 5]

I LOVE Bark George, and it was always one of my storytime go-tos. I even got a job using it in a mock storytime!!! But this just . . . didn't make sense! I tried reading it out loud to my toddler and he got bored. My husband was in the room and was perplexed by what I was reading. It just went on too long and made no sense!

[Laura]

What a trippy book!

My younger daughter has been obsessed with Bark, George so we thought this would be a good sequel. It's just kind of weird and trippy. It also bothers me that the dog, cat, and cow from Bark, George make appearance but the duck doesn't come back to help George learn to add.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like everyone else I was extremely disappointed in this book. I LOVE Bark, George. But this book is confusing and fell flat. First off, George makes demands of his mother which is unacceptable behavior for a child and then there is this odd dream sequence that makes no sense.

No recommended at all.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

When George's mother tries to get him to practice his counting and addition, George makes up several reasons why he can't. While sleeping he dreams of being trapped in a forest of trees with no way out unless he demonstrates that he can do addition.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

George the dog doesn't want to learn to add, and finds all sorts of things to do instead. However, in spite of himself he finds that he CAN add! This is a great book for children who are also reluctant to sit down and learn basic math skills.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

C'mon, there are trees in the city! So WHAT is this hot mess? What was Feiffer on when he wrote/drew this? Very disturbing and not an easy or instinctive way to encourage way to help children with counting or addition. Maybe if you want to scare them AWAY from it, yes.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited for this book as Bark, George is one of my favorite books. This didn't have much humor compared to the first book.

I think the point is that counting is easier than kids expect or they know more than they think they do. Either way, not the same fun as the classic.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookaday #98. Not as unique or clever as Bark George but still lots of fun. The littles will love this for read aloud or for math story time. Beware math nightmares! Be sure to check out end pages and case cover art.