Billy is a normal 7-year-old growing up in a normal family in a normal town. His best friend is a cocker spaniel named Buddy, who is not so normal: He can make himself understood by humans without words and can talk to other animals. Buddy's best friend is the family's tortoise, Caroline. Together, Billy and Buddy get up to all sorts of mischief, gently tormenting those around them. The family setting is overflowing with love and tenderness, and the duo's pranks are guaranteed to make readers of all ages roar with laughter.