In 2023 Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, put out an 82-page advisory report called "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation," addressing people's feelings of being "isolated, invisible, and insignificant." Even children are not exempt. They face increased risks of depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular problems when they suffer from loneliness.

What this book can offer, as one important piece of a multifaceted solution, is the feltness of friendship. When a girl named Alice says, "I don't know how to make friends," Sunny — the narrator, a dachshund — replies, "I do." He comes over to her huddled figure and gently places his paw on her back. She starts to unspool her many questions to him, while he offers to try to help or at least listen.

Simple questions and nuggets of wisdom follow. For instance, Alice and Sunny come to a signpost pointing variously to wisdom, love, hope, friendship, and courage, and Alice asks, "Which way should we go?" "Sometimes," Sunny replies, "we just need to choose one path and see where it leads." Or she picks a flower and holds it for him to sniff, wondering, "What's the difference between liking and loving something?" He tells her, "If you like a flower, you pick it. But if you love a flower, you water it every day."

All along the way, he helps her ease her anxieties, trust herself, and know that he's with her no matter what. One page spread has no pictures at all, only this: "Sometimes there are no words. But I'm here." These simple teachings for readers ages three to five bolster the spirit while also showing how to befriend others.

Jake Biggin both wrote and illustrated this book. His pictures convey a quiet calm. A father of two, he draws inspiration from his children's questions, which also inform his popular "Big Little Hearts" picture-book series.