Jia Has A Dog Problem
A young girl is afraid of dogs, and a small dog is afraid of children in this funny, bighearted picture book about overcoming fear to find friendship.
Jia runs from every dog—big, tiny, spotted, or shaggy. Charlie the French bulldog hides from every kid—behind couches, laundry, even grown-ups' legs.
When something far scarier forces these two together, they discover a sweet surprise: a friend who understands.
Jia is from my Chinese name (施佳慧) because, like her, I lived with an irrational fear I couldn't explain or shake. I wanted to explore how fear can isolate us—and how our greatest fears can lead to some of our greatest joys, like Enya, the shelter dog we rescued when I finally overcame my fear as an adult (the photo on the left is the day we brought her home from Hong Kong Dog Rescue).
Illustrated by the amazing Isabella Kung, who has a knack for creating the most adorable characters (see cover above), this will be my second book with Kokila! JIA HAS A DOG PROBLEM comes out May 2026, and I can’t wait to share more!
Praise
★ “Sy is unfailingly respectful toward her protagonists’ trepidation…Kung’s jagged, childlike drawings of pointy-toothed hounds and looming children vividly depict their fears…
Sy adeptly demonstrates the power of empathy, using clear, tangible examples…Cartoon-style watercolor illustrations with clean, dark outlines are smart and punchy…
A doggone delight.”
– Kirkus reviews, starred review