In I WANT A DOG, a boy tells us how he has been trying to persuade his mother that she should allow him to have a dog. One by one, he goes through his mother's objections to his having a dog, and he explains how he has tried to counter each of her objections. Although his counter-arguments are at times far-fetched, they are always amusing. The reader will find satisfaction in the fact that the boy never loses his hope and perseveres in his effort to achieve his goal.