Troy Wilson

Rec Ages 4-8
32 Pages

A boy and his dog, can it get any better than that? Tuffy is Tim’s dog and they are inseparable. At least they are until Tim discovers Ultra Dog. How can Tuffy compete with a television show, action figures, and a theme park? As Tuffy does his best to remind his boy how worthy he is to be Tim's best dog buddy, Bosworth the cat is putting his claws into the mix stirring up trouble.

At the surface, this seems like nothing more than a feel-good story about a boy and his dog. Yet, like any good children’s book, there is an underlying message. Too often our kids with their limited awareness and budding self-esteem, like Tuffy, read more into a changing situation than needed and come up with the totally wrong idea. Fear of losing a friend is a common theme for both young kids and animals. Add into that gossip, misinformation, and less than honest intentions by others and those situations get out of hand. This is a wonderful conversation starter about how to avoid those traps.


This book is above all filled with fun and the art has a lot to do with that. With its almost graphic novel style, Tim and his child’s obsession are captured beautifully. Tuffy is quite comical in his attempts to win back Tim. The pervading Ultra Dog color scheme is topped only by the tiniest details filling up every page. Also, the interaction between Bosworth and Tuffy almost tell a story without text.

Whether read for fun or to illustrate a lesson, this s great book to have around. Tuffy is one tough pup and children will enjoy reading his story.

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