Don Freemans’ cartoon narrative, It Shouldn’t Happen (to a Dog), tells the tale of a raw army recruit morphing into a dog and what happened to him “shouldn’t happen to a dog”.
NOTE: there appear to be at least two versions of the 1945 publication. The differences I have noticed are:
- The back dust jacket flap for one version is blank while the other has reviews of the book, and
- Under the copyright notice, one version states “first edition” while the other just has “[b.7.45]”
These differences can be seen in the images below.
Title: It Shouldn’t Happen (to a Dog)
Author and Illustrator: Don Freeman
Date of publication: 1945
ISBN: not applicable
Publisher: Harcourt, Brace and Company
Place of publication: New York, NY
Printer: ?
Copyright: Don Freeman
Dimensions: 8 1/4″ tall
Dust jacket: Yes – designed by the artist?
Binding: hard cover
Cover: paper covered
Language: English titles, etc
Unpaginated
Printed: verso and recto
Edition: Trade only
Description: [212] p. 174 ill. Cartoon narrative in which a raw army recruit suddenly changes into a dog, and what happened to him “shouldn’t happen to a dog”.
Notice rear flap is blank.
During and after the war, civic minded citizens
were encouraged to buy government bonds.
Issue price is $2.00
Image – ThingsUneek
Note the following image has a different copyright description [b.7.45] – if anyone has any information as to the meaning please advise wn@wordlessnovels.com.
perhaps suggesting publication was July 1945.
Image – ThingsUneek
Later Publications
1947
- Date of publication: 1947
- Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Co
- Place of publication: USA
- Binding: hardcover
If you have pictures of the 1947 edition, particularly the publication page, please send them to me. A credit line will be given to you for any information provided.
wn@wordlessnovels.com
2014/2015 Dover
Dover Synopsis: Army life didn’t agree with GI Albert C. Bedlington, Jr. He felt like he was always crawling on all fours, and one day when the very thing he’d feared for months finally happened–he had become a dog! The fellas all recognized him, so he carried on as usual, going on a furlough, visiting the USO, getting in and out of trouble, and serving with the K-9 corps. Recounted chiefly in winsome illustrations, this fantasy was written and drawn by Don Freeman, author of Corduroy and other children’s books. His witty and unusual take on World War II-era life among the enlisted men and on the home front was hailed by the Philadelphia Inquirer as a “”fantastic and captivating story”” and by the Chicago Tribune as “”wonderful fun.””
- Publisher: Dover Publications Inc.
- Foreword: Todd DePastino
- Binding: Paperback
- Pages : 224
- Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 inches
- Publication Date: 15th August 2014
- Books ISBN: 0486782107