LYNN — A small grey toy puppy named Trouble joined the children of The REAL Program on Thursday morning as Marblehead author Sheila Duncan fostered a sense of hope, resilience, and compassion in the classroom.
The visit marked a continuation of a journey that began nearly two decades ago.
Trouble was first imagined in 2006 by 12-year-old Kendra Duncan after experiencing multiple cancer losses in her family. Wanting to help others through difficult times, she drew the puppy that would later become a symbol of comfort for children facing challenges.
Her aunt, Sheila Duncan, helped turn that drawing into a broader mission, eventually launching a book, a website, and a line of plush comfort toys designed to support children emotionally.
Inside the classroom on Atlantic Street, that mission came to life in a very tangible way.
Duncan engaged students immediately as they ate their breakfast, inviting them to interact with Trouble not just as a toy, but as a source of emotional connection.
“Kids tell me, when they go like this with Trouble… they give him a hug… and they ask him a question, and he answers them,” she said, holding up the plush dog. “Do you believe that?”
The children responded enthusiastically, many answering, “For real?” before eagerly taking turns hugging the dog.
As Trouble was passed around the room, students reacted with infectious smiles and laughter. “He’s so nice,” one child said, while another described the toy as “so soft,”
The visit was structured as both a reading experience and an interactive event.
Duncan encouraged participation, asking questions about cartoons and reading habits while building a sense of comfort and familiarity.
Each child received two books: Troubles in Trouble!!! And When There’s Trouble, There’s Hope. Along with their own Trouble plush toy, the experience quickly became the highlight of the morning.
“Would you like two books to take home?” Duncan asked, prompting a chorus of raised hands. She also offered to personalize each copy, telling students, “Would you like me to sign the books to you? A signature? That’s very special.”
The distribution of the toys became an emotional moment. Holding up the plush dog, Duncan told one student, “This puppy is just for you to take home… It’s yours.” She reassured them,
“You can sleep with him and talk to him and everything. You get to bring him home,” she added.
The REAL Program, known for its focus on literacy and community engagement, provided an ideal setting for the visit.
Duncan later emphasized the importance of in-person interactions compared to simply sending books. “When I come and have the personal experience, it always energizes me,” she said, noting the immediate emotional responses from children.
She also shared stories that illustrate Trouble’s broader impact.
In one case, a child with serious health challenges “sleeps with Trouble every single night, talks to Trouble… brings them to every hospital visit.”
In another case, a boy from Children’s Friend and Family Services in Salem who had been adopted from foster care, found such comfort in the toy that he went on to raise funds to donate hundreds of Trouble dogs to other children in similar situations.
As the visit concluded, students gathered for photos, clutching their new companions.
The room filled with cheers of “Cheese!” and a series of high-fives, marking the end of what Duncan called “a special moment.”
Trouble is not just a toy plushie but will soon be presented to major publishing houses and entertainment entities.
For the children at The REAL Program, Trouble was more than a storybook character. It was for at least a day, a source of comfort for the little and big things that make their way into their lives.
