BETHEL — Teacher and author Heidi Bullen of Bethel and her friend Lisa Wentzell of North Yarmouth have co-written “A Dog & His Boy,” a book based on Wentzell’s son, Scotty, and his life-size stuffed dog named Spillway.

The story is told from the viewpoint of Spillway, who goes everywhere with Scotty. The subtitle is “The Adventures of Spillway & Scotty.” It’s about inclusion and acceptance.

“That’s really the basis for the book,” Bullen said. “Often children and adults don’t understand all that’s in there, when they can’t communicate or talk.”

“You just need to give people a chance, let them in,” Wentzell said. “You never know what will happen.”

Wentzell and Bullen have been friends for 30 years when they lived and worked at Sugarloaf ski area in Carrabassett Valley. The name Spillway is taken from one of the ski trails.

Spillway skis beside Scotty at Sunday River in Newry where he has been enrolled in the Maine Adaptive Ski program since he was 5 years old.

Scotty didn’t walk until age 6.

His parents bought Spillway at L.L. Bean in Freeport when he was 10.

“After awhile Scotty loved him to death,” his mother said. “His legs get broken, his ears fall off, his nose falls off. I’m constantly sewing him up.”

At their camp in Wilton, Spillway wears a life jacket because Scotty thinks it’s funny to throw him overboard.

As Scotty started taking Spillway everywhere, Wentzell began to think there should be a book about their relationship.

Admitting she was “not a writer,” she texted Bullen to see if she would consider writing the book with her. It was during the pandemic when she had extra time.

Another Sugarloaf friend, Claudia Diller, illustrated the book as she did Bullen’s other books, “Eddie the Yeti” and “Betty the Yeti.”

As they were writing the book, Wentzell tried to find another Spillway from the Melissa and Doug toy store but they had stopped manufacturing them. Nearly 100 friends wrote to the customer service department, urging them to continue making the dog so they could buy them for Scotty as spares.

It was to no avail.

In the meantime, friends searched the internet buying as many as they could find from other people. Scotty now has 25 new Spillways and several more damaged Spillways that his mother can’t bear to throw away.

Scotty has completed school and his new job is doing book tours with his mother and Bullen.

“We’re going to see where this takes us,” Bullen said about the book’s debut. They are hoping The Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness will choose it for its 2023 book of the year.

“We might possibly do the “Today Show,” too, with Jenna Bush,” Bullen said.

“I am so thankful for Heidi and Claudia,” Wentzell said. “They are special in Scotty’s story. Having them help me write this book, just means the world to me. Heidi inspired me to write, too.”

On Feb. 17, the Wentzells will return to Crescent Park School to present their book with Bullen and another Maine author. They hope to find funding so all the students can take home a book.

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