Corky and Mike are inseparable. The little dog and little boy are best friends—forever friends. When Corky gets sick and dies, Mike is not only devastated, he’s hurt and angry, too. Corky broke their pact. With the help of his mom, Mike is able to move beyond his anger by remembering many good times he and Corky shared—good times he’ll never forget. “Then he let Corky all the way into his heart. And it felt warm inside.” Bill Cochran’s child-centered story is a sensitive look at the death of a pet and a child’s experience of loss, warmly illustrated by Dan Andreasen. (Ages 4–8)

No one knows exactly what kind of dog Corky is, but if you ask his owner, Mike, the answer is simple: "He's my dog."

Mike and Corky are best friends; they do everything together. In fact they even make a plan. Mike tells Corky that they will always do everything together—forever. It is their Forever Plan.

And it works well. From one year to the next Corky is right there with Mike. Until one day, when Mike comes home from school and Corky isn't there . . . The story of how Mike comes to accept Corky's death forms a simple, poignant portrait of a special friendship that both celebrates the joys of owning a pet and becomes a heartfelt guide for anyone who is coping with the loss of a loved one.