Fleas! by Jeanne Steig illustrated by Britt Spencer

from goodreads

3 stars

What a busy past few days. Saturday seemed so jammed packed, yet I was barely out of the house. It seems as if there is always something to do, and not enough time to get my reading done.

I am probably one of the lone people out there, but I can't wait for the Christmas holidays. Two weeks when I don't have to be rushing in the morning getting things ready, and I can stay in my pajamas all week if I want. That sounds like bliss to me. I haven't done any Christmas shopping yet. But I'm not worried. I think this year we will go simple and sparse. My kids already have so much, they don't need much more. It will be nice when they get older and they will be happy with cash and gift cards. That will be bliss indeed.

Synopsis

Quantz is helpful and scratches a dog. In return for that favour Quantz ends up with the fleas! He then continues to make trades with people he meets. What will he end up with?

My Thoughts

Well, it was kind of a cool story. It was interesting to see what he would end up trading for. The wrap up at the end was very satisfactory. This book is not life changing and awe inspiring, but it does make a good story for bedtime. It isn't offensive, and it isn't the best. It just is, and that's great.

There were a few things that made this a book I wouldn't necessarily have on my shelf at home. One, what the heck is up with the name Quantz? What is that? I didn't even know it is a name. Perhaps it is a more of a region specific name. I have never heard of it before, and a first I thought he was going to turn into an alien or something. For a kids book, that is predominantly going to be read in North America, Quantz might not be the best name to use for the main character. Now, I am all for interesting or obscure names, but Quantz, I just don't know. How about Rosco or Gonzoro instead?

Two, some of the drawings were really bazaar and one kind of scared me. They also didn't match the story exactly. Some children when looking for a picture cue to go with the story might be confused when they don't see it.

One the whole, it was a cute story. My kids like it. It just wasn't my favourite. If you don't have an aversion to the name Quantz, then this book might be for you.