The search for a pet has surprising consequences in Jon Agee’s woofing great read. Happydale Animal Shelter has a lot of pets; a porcupine, a weasel, an anteater, a baby baboon, a frog, a snake, a goldfish, a lizard, a kangaroo, a wombat, the list goes on and on. What it doesn’t have is a dog. Which is a very big problem if that is exactly what your customer wants. The girl with the cart is ready to take home a new pooch but it looks like she’ll be leaving with her tail between her legs. Can the shelter manager help her find the perfect pet… A pet shelter owner with a vivd imagination, a girl seeking out a canine companion and a menagerie of potential pets make for a novel twist on the traditional 'I want a pet’ narrative. Full of the unexpected, the extremely funny animal caper is one for the whole family to enjoy and is sure to be returned to time and time again. Each turn of the page guarantees giggles and wry smiles as various animals are paraded out and rejected in no uncertain terms. The goldfish and lizard scenes - no spoilers here - are a hoot. Jon has turned a seemingly simple and everyday event into something ridiculously comical. The interactions are hilarious; clever, witty and full of deadpan humour that is evident in both words and artwork. The exasperation of a salesman determined to send away his customer with a pet is met with the increasing frustrations of a wily young girl who knows a dog when she sees one. Things becoming more entertaining and heated as the animal offerings get more outrageous. The beleaguered salesman growing ever more despondent and the girl verging on breaking point before a very surprising ending delivers the perfect twist in the ‘tail’.
This kind of warm-hearted, feel-good fun never fails to delight! Recommend for 4+. With huge thanks to NewSouth Books and Scallywag Press for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
March 2024
|