Lucky & Norman

Saying Goodbye Is Bittersweet

By: Susan Cain, The Cain Family

Inspired by a cherished memory and her #1 New York Times Bestselling book Bittersweet, Susan Cain has collaborated with five family members to tell this touching tale of a forever friendship between two brothers and the donkeys they meet on a memorable vacation.

On the first day of their farm vacation, Sam and Eli meet Lucky and Norman, two donkeys who live on the grounds. Oh how they want to make friends with them! But the donkeys are wary of these two young strangers. They try feeding the animals, they try offering games, but Lucky and Norman refuse to approach the fence where the boys eagerly wait. Until one morning, when the boys' patience and interest are rewarded: The donkeys come to the fence and allow the boys to pet them. For the rest of the vacation the boys and donkeys play together, sudden best friends. Now, how in the world will the boys be able to bear leaving at the end of their stay?

This endearing family story illustrates the strong bond between people and animals and is a tender, meaningful portrait of the bittersweet experience of saying goodbye to something or someone you love.

Critic reviews

"The emotional core of the book is handled with grace. Lim’s watercolor, pencil, and digital illustrations couldn’t be lovelier. Soft greens and golden fields are bathed in changing light, from bright blue days to dusky blue-violet evenings. Her donkeys are the stars of the book: Their enormous, soulful eyes and reactive bodies register wariness, delight, and heartbreak with astonishing expressiveness. Lim varies her spreads and includes intimate vignettes and sweeping pastoral panoramas that give the book visual rhythm. Rooted in real experiences, the story carries the warmth of something genuinely lived." —Kirkus