I Want a Dog is a children's book written and illustrated by Dayal Kaur Khalsa, originally published by Tundra Books and Clarkson N. Potter in 1987. The cover painting of the original book, which was also featured in the film version, is based on Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. The book's main character was named after May Cutler, founder of its Canadian publisher, Tundra.