SIR DOGOODY BUTTON AND FLEABINS THE GREAT... TROUBLEMAKER

A dog and his best friend, a flea, get up to mischief above and below ground in Carson’s chapter book for children.

DoGoody, an Afghan hound, lives in a secret mansion beneath his doghouse, which he keeps secret from his human family, the Buttons. DoGoody is accompanied by a sidekick, Fleabins, who “likes to dress up, even for bed,” in a style that borrows heavily from glam rock. Each chapter is a standalone story, beginning with the Button family’s decision to throw a party, which leads to DoGoody throwing one of his own in the subterranean mansion. DoGoody and Fleabins go through dance after dance (including the “Bunny Bop,” the “Pickle Trot,” and the “Porcupine Polka”), but when the dog fails to make a request to their magic music box, Fleabins calls for a “Twirl,” which makes the two twirl their way out of the mansion and into the Buttons’ party, where they narrowly avoid disaster. In the next tale, DoGoody is whisked away to dog school without getting a chance to tell Fleabins where he’s going, and the flea surmises that his pal has been kidnapped and needs rescue. The third chapter follows a wayward library book, kept safe by DoGoody and creatively improved by Fleabins, which lands Alexander Button in hot water with the librarian. DoGoody and Fleabins also get in trouble at a family wedding and discover that herding sheep is more challenging than they thought. Overall, Carson’s stories are concise and readable. Beginning or reluctant readers will find them approachable, but they’re also complex enough to draw the interest of older children. The conflicts have low stakes and are easily resolved, but DoGoody and Fleabins are shown to enjoy every bit of drama. Fleabins, with his outfits, attitude, and fearlessness, often steals the show, but DoGoody does his part to keep readers’ attention. The human characters are not as fully developed, but they work well as a supporting cast. McKeon’s clear, grayscale cartoon illustrations help bring the events to life.

A simple but enjoyable set of stories for young readers.