Our little brother

TOByBy Niko Koupantsis

To my friend Toby,Thank you for sitting on my lap and letting me know I was part of the family.

You will be in our hearts forever.Niko

Our little brother Toby By Niko Koupantsisauthor: Niko Koupantsis

illustrator: Lily Sepúlvedabook designer: Karen Poon

One day, two young brothers received a very special gift. As they looked at the package, neither of the boys knew what it could hold. It was very dark inside of the package once they had opened it, and they thought maybe there was nothing inside at all. Their mom told them to take a closer look and see if they could find anything hiding at the bottom. One of the brothers reached inside and felt something very soft, and very furry, and very warm.

It was a puppy !

The puppy was very fuzzy, with dark black fur. And, as he was the runt of his litter, he was amazingly small! He had a wet nose, a big puppy smile, and he would give kisses to any face he could reach. They decided to call him Toby, a name that suited him very well.

That night, the brothers were so excited about their new puppy that they couldn’t sleep! Toby got to stay in their room, inside of a cardboard box, which was the perfect

size for him to be comfortable and safe since he was so small. The boys stayed up all night

taking care of the puppy, until the sun came up and it was time for them to go to school.

As the days went by, Toby quickly became part of the family. It was easy for him because, although he was very small, he had a very big and strong heart. He showed his love for his family every chance he got. While the brothers were at school he would stay by their mom’s side and protect her and keep her company, and when they would come home again there wasn’t a happier puppy in all the world.

He also had many tricks of his own which he taught to the two brothers, special puppy tricks that only the three of them knew. It soon became quite clear that Toby was not just a puppy to the two boys. He was like a little brother. And although he had four legs and was covered in fur, there were now three brothers instead of just two.

The family did many things together, but they especially liked to spend time outside in the trees and the fresh air. They would go camping, go for walks through the forest, exploring special places in nature that most people never saw, and shared many great times with each other. Toby was really fond of chasing around gophers, a game his brothers called “gopher hunting.”

And even though he was never able to catch a single gopher, he wasn’t sad because as long as he was with his family he was happy.

Toby loved to run around with the two brothers, playing fetch and learning new tricks!

One of his absolute favourite things was going for a ride in the car with everyone, because it made him feel like part of the family and he always wanted to be near the people he loved.

One thing Toby didn’t like was swimming, and he always made sure to stay away from any lakes or streams the family would come upon. He did not like to be wet!

Toby was very good at finding treasure. Whenever the family would take him outside, he always found something to play with that he would carry with him and take back home. Most puppies play with sticks or rubber balls, but Toby was different. He liked to play with rocks! He knew how to find the very best rocks, ones that were especially round and smooth and were small enough to carry in his mouth. Even though there were many rocks that looked the same,

when the bigger brothers would throw it for their little brother in a game of fetch, he would return with his treasured rock every time. This was because Toby was a very smart and special puppy.

As the bigger brothers got bigger, Toby got bigger too, but not by much. His small size did not stop him from acting like a much larger dog than he was. He would bark at any dangers he sensed, and protect his mom and brothers with great bravery and courage. Nothing was going to get past this puppy, and he was well rewarded with treats to eat and toys to play with. ribbit ribbitl l

Years had passed and the two bigger brothers had grown up, and it was time for them to move away. It was going to be very hard for the family to live apart because they loved each other very much. Luckily, Toby thought of a way to make it easier for everyone. He told his two bigger brothers that he would take care of mom while they were away. He promised he would stay by her side and keep her company so that she wouldn’t be too lonely. And so the two bigger brothers felt better knowing that their mom wouldn’t be alone. Toby saved the day!

Toby did a very good job at keeping his promise. No matter where their mom would go, Toby would follow. He would sit next to her on the couch while she knitted and crocheted. He would eat breakfast, lunch, and supper with her, taking bites from her fork when she offered, which luckily for the puppy was often. He would tell her when it was time for bed, and sleep next to her to protect her all throughout the night as well. If mom ever had to travel anywhere, there was Toby, sitting on her suitcase to make sure she didn’t leave him behind.

He had made a promise, and he intended to keep it.

Although the two bigger brothers lived far away, they would come home to visit their mom and little brother whenever they could. These were always happy occasions, and whenever the three brothers got together, Toby would dance on his back feet reaching impatiently for his bigger brothers and licking the air until they would pick

him up so that he could kiss their faces properly. The three brothers would play together and perform old tricks they all had learnt from each other, and it was like no time had passed at all.

Eventually, Toby began to get older, as all puppies do. But even though he couldn’t see as well, and his teeth weren’t as sharp, his heart was still as big and strong as always. He continued to protect his mom, as he had promised, and gave love and kisses to his two bigger brothers whenever they came to visit. Toby was also very good at welcoming new friends and making them feel like part of the family by sitting on their laps and giving them a kiss or two on the face. No matter how many people Toby met, there was room in his heart for everyone.

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One day Toby started to feel very tired, and knew that he couldn’t continue to perform the duties he had promised. So he asked his two bigger brothers to now make him a promise. He asked them to promise to take care of their mom because sometimes she got lonely without them. And he asked them to promise to always be there for one another and to always stay loyal and true to each other. Toby loved his family very much. It

was the most special treasure in the whole world to him, and he always wanted to make sure it would be okay. In return,

Toby promised to always watch over them by making a home in the hearts. That way they wouldn’t forget him, and they would never have to be sad that he was gone.

And the three brothers each kept their promise.z

ribbit ribbit studios inc // published 2012 March

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Niko is a writer, actor, and animal lover who lives in Vancouver, Canada. He first discovered his passion for storytelling when he started to make up stories for his nieces, and they started to ask him for more. Raised in Saskatchewan, he is a prairie boy at heart who will always long for the big open sky. He believes the very best stories are the ones that speak to the child that lives inside each one of us, reminding us that there are still many mysteries to be found and magical places to explore.

Memories of toby:

Memories of toby: