2
LINNIE’S SURPRISE
“Woof!”
Before I could ask Linnie what that sound was, a little black-and-white dog galloped toward us.
“Wowee zowee, Linnie!” I said. “Is that a puppy?”
Linnie sat down and the dog scrambled over and licked Linnie’s face. “Sure is,” she said. “And she’s my puppy! Her name is Trixie.”
I sat down next to Linnie on the grass and the puppy leaped into my lap and started licking my face, too. It tickled and I laughed. But I closed my lips quickly, because as much as I liked dog kisses, I did not want dog slobber in my mouth!
Linnie threw the ball across the yard. Trixie ran after it.
“My parents finally got me a dog,” Linnie said with a huge smile. “I’ve been asking for one for a long time!”
“You’re so lucky,” I said.
Trixie bounded back over with the ball in her mouth. Linnie took the ball and threw it for her puppy again. Now I knew why there was a bowl on the kitchen floor and a blanket in the living room. They were for Trixie.
As we played fetch, the ball got wetter and wetter with dog slobber, but I didn’t mind. I just wiped it off onto my jeans.
“Trixie is so cute with her black spot and waggy tail,” I said. “How did you convince your parents to get you a dog?” Maybe I could try some of Linnie’s tricks to convince my parents to get me a pet flamingo, even though Mom says flamingos belong in the wild.
“I had to show my mom and dad that I was responsible enough to take care of a pet. That means I had to take care of myself without being told, like keeping my room clean, brushing my teeth, and clearing the table after meals.”
That sounded like a lot of work.
“I also showed them how much I knew about taking care of a dog, like feeding it and taking it for walks. I read a lot of books about dogs.”
I liked to read.
“The truth is,” Linnie said with a smile, “my mom really wanted a dog, too, so it didn’t take a lot of convincing.”
I was pretty sure I was the only one in my family who wanted a pet flamingo. I would have to work hard to make my parents believe I would be a good flamingo keeper.
* * *
Mom picked me up after lunch.
“Linnie got a puppy named Trixie!” I told her. “She is so soft and fluffy. We played fetch and then we walked her around the block on her leash. Then I got to feed Trixie some dog cookies. She loved those! Linnie is going to teach her tricks like roll over and sit up!”
“It sounds like you two had a lot of fun,” Mom said. “I’ll bet Linnie’s very happy with her new puppy.”
“She is,” I said. And soon I’d be very happy with my own pet flamingo. I just wasn’t sure how to go about getting one yet.
When we pulled into our driveway, Sophie was waiting for us. That was strange. She had changed out of her soccer uniform and into her regular clothes. That was not so strange. As soon as Mom stopped the car and turned off the engine, Sophie ran over to Mom’s side and opened her door. That was strange.
Mom must have thought so, too, because when she got out of the car she asked, “Is something wrong?”
“Quick!” Sophie said, and started pulling on Mom’s arm.
“What’s going on?” Mom asked, tripping as Sophie tugged her toward the house.
I ran after Mom and Sophie. Had Sophie broken something in the house? No, if she had, she wouldn’t rush to show Mom. Was Dad hurt? A tickle of worry wiggled its way through me, making my stomach feel funny. I caught up to them just as they walked through the back door into the kitchen.
ENJOY MORE ADVENTURES WITH
JASMINE TOGUCHI
PRAISE FOR
JASMINE TOGUCHI, MOCHI QUEEN
A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION
AN AMAZON.COM BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST OF THE BEST BOOKS
“In this new early chapter book series, Florence introduces readers to a bright character who is grappling with respecting authority while also forging her own path. Vuković’s illustrations are expressive and imbue Jasmine and the Toguchi family with sweetness … This first entry nicely balances humor with the challenges of growing up; readers will devour it.”
—School Library Journal
“[A]n adorable and heartwarming story about a kid who wants to feel special and do something first for once, along with a nice overview of a Japanese New Year celebration.”
—Booklist
“Florence … warmly traces Jasmine’s efforts to get strong (and fast), her clashes and tender moments with her family, and the ins and outs of making mochi … [The] spot illustrations evoke Japanese Sumi-e painting while playfully capturing Jasmine’s willfulness and her family’s closeness.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Florence paints a lovely picture of a warm, extended family whose members truly care about one another and take each other seriously … New readers thirsty for series fiction will look forward to more stories about Jasmine and her family.”
—Kirkus Reviews
ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR
Debbi Michiko Florence is the author of the nonfiction books for children in the Kaleidoscope Kids Series, China and Japan. She is a third generation Japanese American, and many of her ideas for the Jasmine Toguchi series come from family experiences. Debbi lives in Connecticut with her husband and their two ducks, Darcy and Lizzie. Jasmine Toguchi is her fiction debut. You can sign up for email updates here.
Elizabet Vuković received her MFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California. She specializes in children’s book illustration, but enjoys experimenting with character design, concept art, fashion illustration, and decorative art. She currently resides in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She illustrates the Jasmine Toguchi series, including Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen and Jasmine Toguchi, Super Sleuth. You can sign up for email updates here.
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