Joan in the Cone

For fans of Grumpy Monkey and The Pout-Pout Fish comes the heroic tale of one dog's journey to cope with life's inconveniences and all its . . . accessories

"Perfect for fans of Doug Salati's Hot Dog." --Booklist

Joan's life is wonderful, wild, and grand--
running and playing as much as she can!
Days full of fun, where she's never alone.
And then . . .
came . . .
the cone.

For Joan the dog, life is different now. With her cone, she gets trapped in the doggy door. And she doesn't command the same respect she once did at the dog park. Through funny challenges and mortifications, Joan reflects on her pre-cone glory days, including what led to her injury (let's just say, certain choices were made). But with time, Joan begins to see there is love and life and joy beyond the rim of the cone--and sometimes popcorn inside it too, because, it turns out, the cone makes a great snack bowl.

This picture book is guaranteed to make kids and caregivers laugh, and see the trials of life--and dogs in cones--in a whole new way.

"Dynamic, expressive, and funny." --Kirkus
"A perfect read-aloud for children, especially [to teach] resilience and acceptance." --SLJ
Bound to become a family favorite. --Cracking the Cover

Author: Billy Sharff
Publisher: Dial Books
Published: 07/15/2025
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 11.20h x 8.70w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9780593533147
Audience: Ages 4-8


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2025
School Library Journal 06/01/2025 pg. 79
Booklist 07/01/2025 pg. 88

About the Author
Billy Sharff is the author of When Santa Came To Stay. He writes stories and poems for kids of all ages, working in close collaboration with his brother, Aaron Sharff. Billy lives in a little house in the woods of New Hampshire with his wife and two kids. One of their favorite activities is visiting their grandmothers and their two wonderful dogs, who are always happy to steal a shoe, a hat, or a stuffie, and leave it somewhere surprising.

Hala Tahboub is the author/illustrator of Kevin Goes First and illustrator of Just What to Do by Kyle Lukoff. She started her creative journey as an architect and interior designer before winning the SCBWI Canada East chapter's Storyteller Award for Illustration in 2019 and becoming SCBWI's December Featured Illustrator in 2020. Hala believes in kindness, coffee, chocolate, and in the immense power of stories. She lives in Montreal.