Jon Agee attended The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. A full-time author, he lives with his wife in San Francisco. Jon is the author/illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, which between them have won an Irma Black Honor, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books, ALA Notable Book, and much more. In the UK Jon has been shortlisted for the Children's Book Award and twice been long-listed for the UKLA Award.
“Agee, an absurdist of long and beloved standing . . . knows how to build on and milk a fine premise. This is a very fine one . . . and Agee’s cartoonish but deadpan watercolors strike just the right comic tone.” —The New York Times Book Review;“This is a great storytime read-aloud and a wonderful addition to any library collection. This cheerful story is sure to inspire bouts of laughter from young children.” —School Library Journal;“Agee’s cartoon drawings of the hapless animals are winning, but it’s the child’s implacable resolve that sees the story through.” —Publishers Weekly;“Beginning readers will love the child’s firm reiteration of priorities . . . This entertaining, engaging read makes the most impossible pets seem…well, possible.” —Kirkus;“Agee (The Wall in the Middleof the Book, 2018) brings his unique charm and gentle absurdity to an otherwise-straightforward dialogue . . . his artwork elevates the story, rendering so much humor(and, somehow, pathos) through deceptively simple expressions and gestures. With Agee, readers are always in for a treat. —Booklist;“The charm here is in the subversion of the standard you-cannot-have-a-pet trope, with the youngster playing the practical, no-nonsense realist, and the grownup tending toward the outlandish and frantic.” —BCCB