"Bendall-Brunello's Puppy and Bear have marvelously expressive faces, and their play certainly looks like fun in the watercolor-and-colored pencil illustrations.…Fits the bill for readers whose own best buds have been lost to school." —Kirkus Reviews
"Bendall-Brunello's pencil-and-watercolor artwork brings a touch of anthropomorphism to the friends, and his tender scenes emphasize the closeness between the pals as they pretend to be pirates, share a bicycle, and splash around in a creek. It's more a friendship story than a school one, but younger siblings should easily empathize with Puppy's feelings of being left out." —Publishers Weekly
"Bear and Puppy's relationship may help children adjust to the childhood plight of missing a dear friend, whether [during] the school day or [for] other reasons." —School Library Journal