If you’ve spent any time around Hand in Paw this year, you already know Boo — the larger-than-life Newfoundland with a heart to match. As the Face of Picasso Pets 2025: Paws of Valor, Boo has charmed our supporters, volunteers, and event-goers alike. But now he’s stepping into an entirely new role: children’s book hero.
Just in time for the holidays, HIP Therapy Team Dr. Joe Jolly and Boo have released Boo’s Special Day, a beautifully illustrated story inspired by their real-life visits with children who need comfort, reassurance, and a moment of peace. The book is available now through Page Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Google Play — and in true Hand in Paw fashion, Dr. Joe is generously donating all profits to support our mission.
Dr. Joe, a pediatrician at Children’s of Alabama in Alabaster and a beloved member of Hand in Paw’s Board of Directors, didn’t set out to become an author. What he did set out to do was make a difference — and that journey began the day he and Boo became a certified Therapy Team.
“It’s been such an eye-opening and life-changing experience for me,” Dr. Joe shared. “I wanted to encompass those experiences into a story I could share with others in the hope that they could see the many benefits of animal-assisted therapy.”
The result is a story that mirrors the emotional landscape of the visits Boo makes every week: tender, joyful, grounding, and deeply human.
At its core, Boo’s Special Day is a book about the extraordinary power of connection. Dr. Joe hopes kids, parents, teachers, and caregivers alike will see the message woven through every page:
“Whether a person is hospitalized or simply needs stress relief from work or school, the benefits of animal-assisted therapy are so far-reaching.”
The book’s gentle storytelling and charming illustrations by a Montevallo-based artist make it easy for children to see themselves — and their emotions — reflected in Boo’s interactions.
Hand in Paw’s work centers on one simple truth: a calm presence, a wagging tail, or a moment of shared trust can change someone’s entire day. Dr. Joe knows this better than most.
“I cannot overstate how much my life has changed since becoming a Hand in Paw Therapy Team,” he said. “The sheer joy that Boo and other animals bring simply by their calming presence reminds you of how the simplest acts can have such a deep impact.”
This isn’t abstract philosophy. It’s lived experience — and it shows up on every page of the book.
One of the most poignant scenes in Boo’s Special Day comes from a visit to family court, where Boo met a young girl waiting for the outcome of a custody dispute. She was nervous, scared, and carrying more than any child should ever have to.
And then she met Boo.
“She was immediately drawn to him, and he was the same way,” Dr. Joe recalled. “For the next hour she brushed him, braided his hair, talked to him, and hugged him. It was obvious she needed that personal contact at that moment in her life.”
That hour shifted something. It inspired both the tone and the heart of the book. And it continues to shape the work Boo and Dr. Joe do every time they volunteer.
Boo’s Special Day is more than a story — it’s an invitation. A reminder that kindness is teachable. That comfort can be shared. And that healing often begins with connection.
This book makes a meaningful gift for:
And because all profits support Hand in Paw, every book purchased helps us train more Therapy Teams and reach more kids like the little girl in family court.
You can find the book online via Page Publishing:
(And yes — Boo approves every order with a very enthusiastic tail wag.)
Get Your Copy Today!
