Best Buddies

Best Buddies introduces a boy-and-dog duo who are BEST FRIENDS and who do EVERYTHING together! So how will they manage being apart when the boy heads to school for the first time? Find out how a clever boy with Down syndrome and his loyal pet find the perfect way to feel close even when they can’t be together. A sweet, inspiring story that will ease concerns about the first day of school and other big changes for kids.

Lynn Plourde is the author of 40 children’s books, including The Boy Whose Face Froze Like That. Some of Lynn’s other titles include Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud, Wild Child, and her middle grade novel Maxi’s Secrets (Or What You Can Learn from a Dog), inspired by her best buddy, Maggie. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked for 21 years as a speech-language therapist in public schools, including working with many students with Down syndrome. Lynn lives with her husband in Winthrop, Maine, where she enjoys going for walks, gardening, reading, and playing with her young grandson.

Arthur Lin is an artist based in San Francisco, drawn by the storytelling of Sunday comics and various children’s books. He received his master’s degree in illustration in 2010 and has been illustrating books ever since. As a brand-new father, he was fortunate to capture the funny interactions between his newborn and dog, which provided a lot of inspiration for this story. Although they don’t always get along they are already best buddies!

Interest Level: Grades PreK-1

Reading Level: Grades PreK-1