How Riley Rescued the Huffy Woofer

How Riley Rescued the Huffy Woofer is the story of six-year-old Riley, who is not yet able to ride a bike or read, and often feels left out when his older brother William and his friends are playing together. One day, the older children leave him behind, and Riley becomes lost in the woods. While looking for a way back home, he stumbles upon an unexpected secret. His friends Sam and Pam, twin girls who live next door, are hiding a pregnant bulldog that they recently found. Because they want one of the puppies, they swear Riley to secrecy, but Riley knows he has to tell someone because the bulldog mother will need help to have her litter safely. Riley is faced with a difficult dilemma—telling the truth to his parents would mean breaking a promise to his friends. Riley ultimately relies on his faith in God to do the right thing, and it is hoped that his story will provide parents and children with the opportunity to talk about the issues of truthfulness, peer pressure, and friendship.

Dawn E. Garrott enjoys working with kids and studied early childhood education and psychology, earning a BA from Tufts University. She also enjoys working with teens and adults and studied secondary education, earning an MA from Ohio State University. Her short fiction and nonfiction for kids and adults have been published in the United States, Canada, and Italy. She is married to William Riley Garrott. Luthando Mazibuko has had a passion for drawing since his early childhood in South Africa and holds a BFA in illustration from Northern Illinois University and MAT in fine art from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.