Why Benny Barks

by David Milgrim

Illus. in full color. Benny is the best dog ever--but why does he bark so much? He barks at the garden hose, he barks at the phone, he even stand by himself and barks all alone! A singsong text and humorous illustrations will have kids howling for more.

Genres: Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Adriana Villagomez]

As a kid, have you ever caught yourself wondering what animals are trying to say when they bark or meow or roar? The main character of this book, a little boy, wonders the same thing as he watches his dog, Benny, bark at pretty much everything. It is set in the point of view of the little boy who wonders whether his dog is trying to communicate using a dog language, or if he is just barking at nothing. It goes inside the mind of a child who questions what his dog is really trying to say, if anything at all, as he takes him everywhere.
This was a cute book because as I was reading along, I was able to connect with the story even though I am much older than the intended audience. I have a dog and have wondered myself what my dog is trying to say every time he barks. This is a great introductory book because it contains elements, like Benny the dog, that children may be able to connect with whether they have a dog themselves or know someone who does. I think this would appeal to many early readers because it is something they may be able to connect with and enjoy reading.

[Rena Sherwood]

I couldn't help but feel bad for Benny, even though he lives with a loving family. I can't help but feel that Benny is being ignored, despite all of his barking.

And since this was published in 1994, and no one seems upset about his constant barking, I got a bad feeling Benny was debarked.

[liligurl Bruh]

Uhhhh… cute book I just don’t understand it kinda… and I wish there was an ending of why Benny barked.. and I got this from the library for free so it is worth it.

[Rita Webb]

This is the story of a child, musing about why his dog barks. Truly, dogs can be a mystery.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the conversation it inspired.

"So why do you think Benny barks?" I asked the girls as I closed the book.

"I think he barks because he's in love," one daughter said.

"Oh?"

"That's why I would bark," she explained.

Oh the joys of reading with your children!