A Room With A Zoo

Writing from the point of view of his nine-year-old daughter, Feiffer recounts the pet-strewn pathway to her finally getting a dog. Her indulgent parents feed Julie's passion for animals by getting a string of substitute animals that don't need to be walked: a cat proves standoffish, so they buy a hamster to entertain the cat. Next comes a carnivorous fish that eats its companions. Then a turtle. Feiffer's hilarious ink illustrations make this book a pleasure to read, though they probably won't convince you to get that dog...