I Want a Dog!

The earnest speaker in this fun story, based on the author’s song of the same title, pleads for a dog, promising that it “will never, ever make a mess” (via a pull tab, she sweeps his “mess” into a dustpan as she holds her nose). Other animals—a hippo, a pig—won’t do (turning a wheel helps the girl feed an endless bucket of slop to a tubby swine). On a final pop-up spread, she embraces a dog, surrounded by blooming, red hearts. Effective interactive elements and simple humor will charm. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)