Boo's beard

Tom cant read facial expressions, so he doesnt understand the other children and they dont understand him.

Playing at the park can be lonely sometimes, but luckily Tom has his dog, Boo, and Boo is easy to understand.

She wags her tail when she is happy and whines when she is sad.One day, Boo gets her beard all knotted up in the bushes.

A little girl named Lydia sees Boo and stops to talk to Tom.

Boos beard has been tangled into a big smile, and Lydia explains to Tom that its the expression that someone makes when she is happy.

She twists Boos beard into more expressions, explaining each one as she goes.

When Lydia invites Tom and Boo to play on the swings with the kids, Tom and Boo join her. And at the end of the book, Tom understands the meaning of his own smile.This sweet book familiarizes children with social disabilities, such as autism and Aspergers syndrome.

Children learn the meaning of facial expressions and are introduced to the possibility that some children may have difficulty interacting with them.