I just finished reading "Best Buddies," and I cannot recommend it enough. As an adult, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this delightful tale, which truly transcends age barriers with its universal themes of friendship and companionship.

The story revolves around an inseparable duo – a clever boy with Down syndrome and his loyal canine companion. From the synopsis, we learn that they do everything together, but a new challenge arises when the boy has to go to school for the first time, leaving his furry friend behind. The narrative beautifully unfolds as the duo navigates the separation, cleverly finding a way to stay emotionally connected despite the physical distance. This sweet and inspiring story not only captures the essence of friendship but also addresses concerns about big changes, like the first day of school, in a reassuring manner for young readers.

Lynn Plourde's storytelling is not only engaging but also sensitive to the needs of her audience. Her background as a speech-language therapist, especially working with students with Down syndrome, adds a layer of authenticity to the narrative. The inclusion of a protagonist with Down syndrome is a commendable choice, promoting diversity and representation in children's literature. Plourde's experience shines through, creating relatable characters and a narrative that fosters empathy and understanding.

The illustrations by Arthur Lin are a true highlight of the book. Lin's artistic prowess brings the characters and their emotions to life, capturing the essence of the boy-dog companionship with warmth and charm. The art style, influenced by Sunday comics and various children's books, adds a timeless quality to the visuals. The funny interactions between Lin's own newborn and dog, serving as inspiration for the story, infuse a genuine and heartwarming touch to the illustrations.

As an adult reader, I found myself enchanted by the simplicity and depth of "Best Buddies." The book is a testament to the enduring bond between humans and their pets, evoking all the warm and cozy feelings associated with unconditional love. Whether you have kids or not, this book is a delightful read that will leave you with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart.

I loved this book! It is such a heartwarming story of a boy and his dog. The illustrations are beautiful and add to the beautiful story of friendship.

On the day he came home from the hospital, a boy with Down syndrome and a basset hound’s relationship began. No surprise that their bond became stronger once the boy shared his snacks with the hound. Soon they are inseparable enjoying car rides, playing in the yard, and snuggling at bedtime solidifying their status as best buddies. But on the first day of school, the teary eyed boy got on a bus while the sad hound watched from the door. Luckily, the duo was reunited at the end of the school day, but both were still full of worry. What about tomorrow? How will the boy and hound cope?

Best Buddies is a touching story celebrating the friendship between a child and his dog. What I love most is the boy cleverly finds a way for him and his pup to stay close to one another when apart. With the start of school approaching, Best Buddies is a perfect real aloud to support children nervous about leaving a loved one.

Best buddies by Lynn Plourde will give you ALL THE FEELS! There is absolutely nothing sweeter than the relationship between a boy and his dog. As you watch pup and baby grow up and learn to depend and love each other, you will be so thankful of the blessing that is owning a pet. I would recommend this book to any young family with a dog.

One of the best storybooks on pets and kids.

A little boy and his dog story is the best I read today!

The separation anxiety when the boy starts attending school is best illustrated in this book.

I love the illustrations. It's so beautiful and heartfelt.

Thank you, author/artist and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.

Anyone who can remember what it was like to adore a childhood pet will want to share this title with a child that they know. It is that sweet. And, speaking of sweet, this quote sums up the relationship between this child and his dog:

Like cake and frosting, the best buddies always stuck together.

The story begins when a baby boy is born and comes home from the hospital. From that moment, until the boy starts school, person and pet are inseparable. Having to be away from each other challenges both. What do they do to stay connected?

This is a lovely book. The illustrations are so engaging and adorable. They perfectly show the close relationship between human and animal.

I highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

💎 Book Gem: Best Buddies by Lynn Plourde. This is a children's book for ages Pre K - First Grade. It will be released August of 2021

🛡 Author Adventure: Modern day story that takes you around the world of two best buddies.

📖 Lesson: This book is a great story of how a boy that grows up doing everything with his dog learns how to do things by himself and gets over his fear of leaving his dog. The two buddies did everything together and were inseparable, until it was time for the little boy to start school. The transition was very hard for both the dog and the boy. After not knowing what to do about his dilemma, the boy finds a clever way to solve his problem! I love the lesson of perseverance and getting over your fears. Children going to school for the first time will definitely understand the boys delimma and get a few ideas of how to get over their fears along the way.

✏Favorite Qoute: "Like cake and frosting, the best buds always stuck together."

I received an electronic ARC from Capstone through NetGalley.
Simple yet powerful story about a boy and his dog. Plourde takes readers from the first meeting (when the baby came home from the hospital) to the boy heading off to school. Readers see their relationship grow and the love between them flourish. A perfect book for young readers who are anxious about school and upset about leaving their pet behind. Wouldn't hurt to read it to the pets too. ;)
Brightly colored illustrations capture the pure joy and the deep sadness each feels.

This book was really cute. The illustrations are adorable and there are a perfect amount of words on each page. I did always think the main boy looked exhausted throughout the book and he actually reminded me of the boy who turned out to be the villain in Meet the Robinsons. The book is all about the relationship between a boy and his dog and how much they miss each other when they are separated. I think this is a book that kids with pets would really relate to.

From the day the boy is brought home from the hospital, his buddy, the family dog, was there with him. They played together, looked after each other and loved one another. They spent every minute together, until the boy started school. The first day was awfu! They both missed each other so much and didn't sleep at all that night worrying about the next morning. When morning came, there was suddenly an answer to help get them through the day. They still missed each other, but were able to function until they saw one another again. We loved this book and talked about pets, missing people, and happy reunions. I found it odd that the blurb stated that the boy had Down's Syndrome. First, the illustrations do not show any of the facial characteristics of a child with Down's Syndrome and there are no other hints that this child has any needs or difficulties. We read it as if it was any child and it worked fine. The illustrations are full of emotions and fun, which we also enjoyed. A great story to read to kids who will be going to school for the first time, or heading off to camp etc. where they may miss a pet, a favourite toy, a sibling or parent.

AHHHHHHHHH. That’s it. That's all you need to know. A boy and his dog are best buddies. They do everything together until it is time to go to school. How do you do this when you miss each other so much? This book was adorable and the illustrations are a perfect complement.

This book got me in my feels! I was really invested in the feeling of the dog and the boy. I really appreciated the message of adaptability and love. Well done!

I absolutely adored Best Buddies! It tells the story of how a dog met his boy on the first day home from the hospital. The dog and boy were there through everything together. Both the boy and his dog struggled when it was time for the little boy to start school. They found a way to bring a piece of each other with them. It was gentle and so adorable.

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review

This hit me with all the feels. It touches on separation anxiety, and though it doesn't provide a real life sort of solution, it does show that a solution can be made to help everyone feel more comfortable when they're apart from someone they love

OMG, I loved this book! I laughed and I cried. It is such a simple, yet warm-hearted story of a boy and his dog. The illustrations take it over the top. I would read this book over and over again and I don't have any children. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

This title immediately jumped out at my boy. Put a dog on the cover and he is all IN! At almost 7, I am not sure he is the target audience, exactly, but he enjoyed it all the same. As did I.
Best Buddies would be a great book to read with a little one just starting daycare or school and suffering from a bit of separation anxiety!

This is a sweet book about a boys relationship with his dog. The illustrations are adorable, any child who has grown up with a dog by their side will love this one.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A story of love between a little boy and his dog and how hard it is when the boy goes to school.

WOW this was the sweetest book about change and growing up. I adored the cute way the author and illustrator set up the life-long friendship between the dog and the child and how they made the separation (due to school) so valid and real. They didn't make it seem like they should just get over it but instead gave it real validity and found ways for them to get through it as a team. I was so entirely impressed that I am going to recommend this book to our 1st grade teacher.

This was SO ADORABLE. It shows the love that dogs and babies/children can have for each other! It was such a cute story.