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    Lucky & Norman

    Saying Goodbye Is Bittersweet

    Author Susan Cain, The Cain Family
    Illustrated by Stella Lim
    Hardcover
    $19.99 US
    Penguin Young Readers | Rocky Pond Books
    On sale Jun 02, 2026 | 40 Pages | 9780593695685
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    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.
    © Aaron Fedor
    Susan Cain started the Quiet Movement, which revolutionized how the world sees introverts—and how introverts see themselves. She is also the author of Bittersweet: How Longing and Sorrow Make Us Whole. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere, and her TED Talk has been viewed more than 40 million times. She was named one of the world’s top 50 Leadership and Management Experts by Inc., and one of LinkedIn’s top ten influencers. View titles by Susan Cain
    The Cain Family View titles by The Cain Family
    Stella Lim View titles by Stella Lim
    "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
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    About

    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.

    Author

    © Aaron Fedor
    Susan Cain started the Quiet Movement, which revolutionized how the world sees introverts—and how introverts see themselves. She is also the author of Bittersweet: How Longing and Sorrow Make Us Whole. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere, and her TED Talk has been viewed more than 40 million times. She was named one of the world’s top 50 Leadership and Management Experts by Inc., and one of LinkedIn’s top ten influencers. View titles by Susan Cain
    The Cain Family View titles by The Cain Family
    Stella Lim View titles by Stella Lim

    Praise

    "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

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