The Summer It Rained: How Boppy the Beagle Learned to See the Sun Behind the Clouds is a story about Boppy, a Beagle who is struggling with overcoming sadness, being resilient, and using effective coping strategies. Boppy’s friends, Gabby and Polly, work hard to help Boppy feel better. When Boppy’s owners take him to see a special dog psychologist, Boppy learns how to cope with negative feelings, overcome challenges, and cultivate optimism and resilience.

The Summer It Rained: How Boppy the Beagle Learned to See the Sun Behind the Clouds is intended for children, ages 7-11. The book is envisioned to be used by school psychologists, psychologists in independent practice, teachers, and parents of children in elementary school. It may be used for children who are feeling depressed or are resistant to coming to therapy or counseling. The book may also be used as a part of a curriculum for fostering resilience in all children.

This story explains the feelings of sadness and negative thinking, illustrates how people in someone’s life can help (e.g., the characters of Gabby and Polly), describes the process of what to expect before, during, and after seeing a psychologist, and most importantly, outlines basic principles of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy. It is not a “quick fix,” but rather a story that depicts the struggles of a usually happy dog, previous failed attempts of receiving help, reaching out to parents, teachers, and psychologists, and putting time and effort into learning new skills. The Summer It Rained: How Boppy the Beagle Learned to See the Sun Behind the Clouds is designed for psychologists, teachers, and parents to use with children in elementary school.