Note: I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley. ( )

Henry Hodges is a lonely little boy who lives in a very quiet town at the very end of his street. He doesn't have any friends that live nearby and he has become bored playing with his toys. He mopes around sad and lonely. One day his mother tells him that he is going to be getting a special pet. He imagines all kinds of fantastic pets with fantastic abilities such as a figure skating hippo. When he gets to the shelter he looks at all the animals until he sees a lonely little dog at the end. This is going to be his special new friend. He names him Hap, short for Happy. and knows right away that this is his special new friend. With Hap in his life, heavyhearted Henry is changed forever. He and Hap run and play, exploring their world around them together and Henry is now a happy boy with a happy life. A shared life is a happy life.

This book is written in rhyme and The illustrations are wonderful. The pictures are full of imagination and humour.

There a couple of messages that can be reinforced with children using this book. The first is that you need to be open to what you are looking for. Whether it is a new pet, a new friend or a present for a special event, what you get may not be what you wanted, but it can still be amazing. The second is if you are feeling lonely, do not give up, a new friend may be just around the corner waiting for you, just like Hap was waiting for Henry.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read and review this book. ( )