When Clinton journeys to join his mother in London, he must leave the quiet life of the island behind: his Gran and Uncle Clinton, the quiet afternoons spent fishing and roaming the beach, and, perhaps most importantly of all, his old dog, Rufus. But amongst all of this change, the pull of nature and the presence of 'a boy's best friend' are never far away.

Perfect For

• Children aged 7–9
  
• Young readers who love animal stories
  
• Fans of short illustrated chapter books
  
• Classroom reading and discussion about friendship, change and empathy
  
• Children who enjoy stories about dogs and nature

A Boy's Best Friend is one in a series of six illustrated short stories about young people growing up in the countryside.

Titles in the Country Tales series:

• Flying Free
• The Little Mistake
• The Mountain Lamb
• A Boy's Best Friend
• Pretend Cows

Nicola Davies is an award-winning author whose many books for children include Perfect (2017 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Longlist), The Pond (2018 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Longlist), the Shadows and Light series, The Word Bird, Animal Surprises, Into the Blue and The Secret of the Egg.

Cathy Fisher's first published books with Graffeg include Perfect, followed by The Pond, both written by Nicola Davies. Cathy has been a teacher and practicing artist all her life, living and working in the UK, Seychelles and Australia.

'Beautifully told and full of warmth, Nicola’s short tale of love, change and adjusting to a new life, will speak to everyone, especially those who have had to leave much of what they love to start a new life elsewhere. Cathy Fisher’s delicately worked black, white and grey illustrations further add to the atmosphere of the telling.'Jill Bennett, Red Reading Hub