Book review: Barbie Gone to the Dogs

Published June 6, 2026 Updated June 6, 2026 06:17am

Ever wondered how Barbie Roberts and her friends manage to look so fabulous and get their tasks done without breaking a sweat? There is a story behind their seemingly effortless lives, and in Barbie Gone to the Dogs, we revisit one such day when they tried everything to chase their dreams.

This fully illustrated book lets you be part of a day in the lives of best friends Barbie ‘Brooklyn’ Roberts and Barbie ‘Malibu’ Roberts, who dream of recording a demo of their upcoming song. However, one thing leads to another, and they end up without a recording studio for various reasons.

Barbie’s parents, instead of helping them, decided to use the opportunity to teach them the value of money by asking them to earn the studio fee.

Determined to make their dreams come true, they hatch a hilarious plan: dog-walking, which starts well but, as you can expect, ends in disaster.

However, during this errand, they learn a lot, including how to multitask, stay alert on the job and handle pressure.

Did they earn the money for their demo, or did they cancel their recording? That’s a story for another day. Right now, their dog walking is the story!

What began as a one-dog-per-person job soon became a three-dog-per-person job, since the two Barbies thought that the increasing number of dogs would increase their income.

They were wrong, because that’s exactly why things went awry. Add a cat fashion show to the mix and you can imagine what I am talking about.

The illustrations from the Barbie animated series complement the text, which tells us that one should always understand one’s capacity for work and be sincere in whatever task one is assigned.

These tasks can range from walking a dog to looking after a baby and trying to maximise profits from such gigs can never end well.

On the whole, this paw-sitively charming tale is one of the many adventures Barbie and her friends go on, so you can learn from their mistakes.

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 6th, 2026