  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/01/2019 When a girl visits her local animal shelter hoping to take home a dog, she’s greeted by a tall, besuited salesman who offers a series of alternative pet options that escalate in exoticism: a porcupine, weasel, armadillo, anteater, baby baboon, python, and frog, each one presented with a silly false promise. “Look what I found! A goldfish! It wags its tail and knows how to play dead, just like a dog.” “Mister,” replies the girl, “that goldfish is not playing dead.” (It’s actually dead.) After she refuses an albatross, kangaroo, and wombat, the salesman finally admits that he doesn’t have any dogs. His last-ditch effort, however, wins the girl over, and she goes home happy with her new pet seal, Lucinda. Agee (The Wall in the Middle of the Book, 2018) brings his unique charm and gentle absurdity to an otherwise-straightforward dialogue. While it’s not a particularly inventive premise, 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. - Copyright 2019 Booklist. Loading...
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