Publisher: David McKay Company Inc.

Year: 1934

Pages: Unmarked (approximately 80)

Type: Hardcover

ISBN: 0-679-20801-1

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog
Now we got ears, it’s time for cheers

So say the lyrics to the Hot Dog song from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse children’s show. And although that little television ditty didn’t come along until 2006, I found an interesting link that stretches across the years between it and this book. But more on that later.

I don’t believe this book ever had a dust jacket. It was reprinted as a cheaper volume of an original release so as to make it more available to readers.

The dedication by ‘Walt Disney’ (more likely written by the publisher or a Disney company employee) is charming and I’m sure this book did ‘bring more happiness into (the) homes’ of many children.

This title was first published in 1931. It was a more elaborate binding with this 1934 release being a second printing of a pared down version.

So what can we say about the book’s contents? It contains reworked stories based on animated Shorts. There are eight in all:

The Birthday Party / Mickey Steps Out / Traffic Troubles / The Castaway – All in Black & White

Mickey Mouse in ‘Giantland’ – Longer in length and in Full Colour

Pioneer Days / The Delivery Boy / The Moose Hunt – All in Black & White

Many of these stories would be problematic today as they contain culturally insensitive material and stereotypes galore! But one has to expect that from writings of this period.

Each story contains verse and text along with stills from the original Shorts. The verse usually follows a four-line format with end-of-line rhyming. There doesn’t seem to be any uniformity as sometimes the first and third lines will rhyme with the second and forth lines rhyming. But other times it is the first and second and then the third and forth that rhyme. Other times one line won’t rhyme at all! Shakespeare or Frost this Ghost Writer was not.

As noted in the opening comments, there is a connection between this book and the Hot Dog dance. Look at the little figures of Mickey and Minnie in the lower corners of the pages above. They are dancing. They also appear on multiple pages making for a little flip-book action. And when you flip through the pages, Mickey and Minnie do… the Hot Dog dance!

Mickey Mouse in ‘Giantland’ is the only story to appear in colour. It appears in the center of the book. Below is the only splash page:

This wouldn’t have been a duplicate of the original poster for the Short, as these usually had a generic Mickey standing next to a shape that would have the latest title inserted within it. But more elaborate posters were used when colour Shorts began:

The book has a nice drawing of Mickey and Minnie doing the Hot Dog dance:

You can really see the similarities when you compare the moves from then to now:

It’s nice to note one other connection between this old book and the newer Mickey Mouse Clubhouse television series. Both have the older characters, such as Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar, among others.

I believe this book would still delight children today! The stories are simply written and contain numerous pictures. The poems are basic but effective and fun. And speaking of poems, I can think of no better way to conclude this book review than with the final verses of the Hot Dog song. Only slightly altered:

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog
Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog
We’re splitting the scene
We’re full of beans

So long for now from DisLee (That’s me!)
And the Disleelandia blog