I Want a Dog

Every kid wants one, but few are as persistent and inventive about getting one – or a substitute for one – as little May. It seems to little May that everybody has a dog except her. She tries everything, even bringing one home, with no success. Then one day she accidentally discovers that a rollerskate can act like a dog, almost, so she works at acquiring the technical skill that will change it into one, almost. She leads it, walks it – at first timidly, then boldly – ties it up outside stores, takes it all the places a dog can go. In fact, she starts quite a fad on her street of rollerskate walking.

Publishers Weekly

Bright, busy paintings and a sympathetic narrative depict canine-coveting May's solution to her parents' ban on pets. Ages 4-9. (Feb.)

Dayal Kaur Khalsa both wrote and illustrated picture books that celebrate the joys in life: the love between grandparents and grandchildren, the togetherness of a family holiday, the ingenuity of a girl who wants a dog, the thrill of discovering a new and delicious food. Her books have won numerous awards, including being chosen twice for the New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year, and twice as a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award. Dayal Kaur Khalsa died in 1989.