I Want a Dog

In this story by Agee (The Wall in the Middle of the Book), a child visits the Happydale Animal Shelter and asks for a dog. The tall, skinny man who runs the shelter presses her to accept an armadillo, or maybe an anteater. "How about this baby baboon? It doesn't go woof, but it chases a ball, just like a dog!" The girl, who has brown skin and wears a bright yellow dress, isn't interested. "I don't want a baby baboon," she says. A python? A frog? A tail-up goldfish? Her words appear just above her head against a blank wall and hang in the air with finality: "Mister, that goldfish is not playing dead." Somehow, the two reach a compromise. He asks why a dog is so important, and she leaves with a fine pet, indeed ("loyal, loving, smart, cuddly, goofy"--the works). Reversed expectations give this story its laughs--the child dominating the exchange, her lack of interest in the myriad offers. Agee's cartoon drawings of the hapless animals are winning, but it's the child's implacable resolve that sees the story through. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 1-A little girl really wants a dog so she journeys to Happydale Animal Shelter in an attempt to find her ideal pet. The man at the shelter shows her an abundance of unusual animal choices and attempts to persuade her to choose the pets he selects instead. However, the little girl remains adamant that she wants a dog. This book is filled with comical exchanges between the man and child. Repetition of the phrase "I want a dog" adds to the humorous quality of the narrative. Readers will be anxious to see what pet emerges next. Many of the pages feature the simple but attention-grabbing large doorway and a salesman at one end of the scene. On the opposite end of the scene the little girl is depicted with a new pet option. The rest of the scene is relatively spacious, focusing readers' attention on important changes within the scene. Drawings feature a lively cartoon art style with washes of color throughout. The imagery adds to the narrative's playful tone. VERDICT This is a great storytime read-aloud and a wonderful addition to any library collection. This cheerful story is sure to inspire bouts of laughter from young children.-Deanna Smith, Pender County Public Library, NC

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Agee, an absurdist of long and beloved standing . . . knows how to build on and milk a fine premise. This is a very fine one . . . and Agee's cartoonish but deadpan watercolors strike just the right comic tone." —The New York Times Book Review

"Agee's cartoon drawings of the hapless animals are winning, but it's the child's implacable resolve that sees the story through." —Publishers Weekly

"Beginning readers will love the child's firm reiteration of priorities . . . This entertaining, engaging read makes the most impossible pets seem...well, possible." —Kirkus

"Agee (The Wall in the Middleof the Book, 2018) brings his unique charm and gentle absurdity to an otherwise-straightforward dialogue . . . his artwork elevates the story, rendering so much humor(and, somehow, pathos) through deceptively simple expressions and gestures. With Agee, readers are always in for a treat. —Booklist

"The charm here is in the subversion of the standard you-cannot-have-a-pet trope, with the youngster playing the practical, no-nonsense realist, and the grownup tending toward the outlandish and frantic." —BCCB