I Want A Dog

　　一個帶著拖車的小女孩來到動物收容所，想要領養一隻狗。這個收容所裡什麼都有，食蟻獸、蜥蜴、鵝、黃鼠狼，但他們真的有狗嗎？高大的收容所員工試圖讓小女孩接受其他的動物，他推薦小女孩可以領養狒狒、青蛙，甚至是金魚，他說金魚也會玩得很瘋，就像一隻狗一樣。但小女孩不為所動，冷冷地回應說：金魚並不會玩得很瘋。小女孩堅定地說：我就是想要一隻狗。

　　收容所員工承認，他們沒有狗，但最後他為小女孩帶來了一隻動物，令人驚訝的是，這真的比狗更棒！

　　一向以幽默風格風靡繪本界的強．艾吉（ Jon Agee），繼熱烈好評的《書中有一道牆》（The Wall In The Middle Of The Book）之後，最新作品《I Want a Dog》故事情節有趣又引人入勝，讀來令人捧腹大笑，值得大人小孩讀者一睹為快！（文／博客來編譯）

　　One little girl is determined to find her perfect pet at a wonderfully unusual animal shelter. The Copley County Animal Shelter has an aardvark, a lizard, a goose, a weasel, and plenty more. But do they have a dog? Our little girl has even turned up with a trolley to take home a dog – and she will not take ‘no’ for an answer! This hilarious subversion of the standard you-cannot-have-a-pet trope is a wonderful read-aloud text with repetition and build up of drama. The fun of the story could even lead to a wider discussion about what pets it is really possible to have.

Review
　　“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

　　“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.” ―School Library Journal

　　“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 Middle of 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

　　Jon Agee attended The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. A full-time author, he lives with his wife in San Francisco. Jon is the author/illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, which between them have won an Irma Black Honor, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books, ALA Notable Book, and much more. In the UK Jon has been shortlisted for the Children's Book Award and twice been long-listed for the UKLA Award.