J. liked that the dog was very smart and was able to get Matt’s parents when there was an emergency. J. is the kind of kid who likes the idea of a pet dog, but doesn’t necessarily enjoy being around them in person, so this book was great for him. He got to experience that relationship between a boy and his dog without enduring any dog slobber or backyard cleanup.

My sons enjoyed reading “Best Pals Matt and Rusty.” Big plus.. they were not intimidated by the words per page ratio. The book kept both interested till the end.

My son especially loved this book about friendship and your “best pal” pup. Great story with a great lesson involved!

My son really internalized the lesson of Matt taking responsibility for the dish he broke. A few weeks after reading this book, he brought me an umbrella he brought along with some money he saved saying he wanted to pay for a new one.

This is a story of friendship and camaraderie. We loved the teamwork it encouraged.