by Jenna Elyse Johnson (Author), Anuki López (Illustrator)
Mae and her service dog Malibu make a great team. Malibu keeps Mae safe when seizures approach, and Mae knows all of Malibu's favorite snacks.
In the first book of the Mae & Malibu series, Mae trains Malibu to be her service dog. "An informative, accessible, age-appropriate book about service-animal training for youngsters. Highly recommended for all collections." - School Library Journal, Starred Review Mae's dreams are about to come true. She's getting a dog! But not just any dog. She's getting a service dog named Malibu! Together, they will be Mae and Malibu, M&M, the dream team! And she'll finally have more independence. Maybe enough independence to attend the end of summer concert, Music in the Piazza, with her friends. But training a service dog isn't quite as easy as it looks. Worst of all, if Mae can't train Malibu in seizure alert and response, Mom won't let her officially adopt him. Will Mae and Malibu truly become a dynamic duo?
Author Biography
Jenna Elyse Johnson (Author)
Jenna Elyse Johnson has been a storyteller since elementary school, ever since her teachers told her she could be a writer. (Never doubt the power of an encouraging word!) Her teachers saved many of her earliest stories and still share them with their students today.
Jenna holds a bachelor's degree and teaching credential from Pepperdine University. Her favorite part of the day is story time, so she made a career out of it! As a disabled author, it is her passion to showcase disabled joy through her writing.
Jenna's an active member of SCBWI, and Julie Hedlund's 12x12 Picture Book Challenge. In 2022, Jenna was chosen as a PBChat Mentee, and her career has grown from there.
When she's not writing, Jenna is teaching elementary students, working at her local independent bookstore, visiting her twin brother in San Diego, or playing with her service dog, Hamilton.
Most days, you can find Jenna curled up by the fireplace (she's always cold!), reading a good book (most likely kidlit!), munching on a good gluten-free treat, or at a coffee shop with her laptop, working on her next big idea.
Anuki López (Illustrator) Anuki López is an illustrator from Seville, Spain. She loves to illustrate books full of color, texture, love, animals, and, of course, kids. She has been drawing since she can remember, and her inspirations are natural elements, autumn colors, shapes and textures of nature, and all kinds of animals, including her favorite, dogs. When she's not drawing, she loves to spend her time with her dog, Tanuki, knitting and crocheting, or being with her family and partner.
Number of Pages: 112
Dimensions: 0.3 x 6.9 x 4.9 IN
Publication Date: September 22, 2026
