Every kid has a favourite toy.

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Claire's son had two - and they never went anywhere alone. A rabbit and a dog, strapped to trains, tied to balls, stuffed into treehouses, thrown in the air, and snuggled every single bedtime. They were his best mates, and somewhere in all those adventures, Claire started to notice something - only in a child's world, where there are no rules about who's allowed to get along, would a rabbit and a dog end up inseparable.

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When the idea for a book finally landed, there was never any question who the stars would be. She built out their characters from there: Lottie, lively and a little mischievous; Arlo, quieter and steadier; both of them opposites, both of them best friends anyway.

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She's been telling stories like this for 26 years, as an animator, story artist, screenwriter and illustrator. She's a mum to one very funny young human, based in Auckland, and this is the first of what she hopes will be many adventures for Lottie and Arlo.