Our first book Chonky the Chocolate Lab and the Trick to Treating Others Kindly launches soon! Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when it’s available, and we’ll send you Chonky’s pumpkin bacon treat recipe!
What happens when a Chocolate Lab can't enjoy what Halloween is famous for? He takes matters into his own paws! With a wagging tail and a wagon full of treats, Chonky finds a piece of magic in every neighbor he meets. This heart-melting tale, a charming twist on trick-or-treating, follows a Chocolate Lab named after a treat he won't be eating. Along the way, he meets Riblet, a crumb-covered raccoon who wears a tinfoil hat and a skeleton costume. With a one-of-a-kind friendship and a surprise behind every door, the sweetest treat isn't chocolate. It's a chocolate Labrador!
One kind-hearted Lab, one curious raccoon, and a whole neighborhood of new friends waiting behind every door.
Chonky is a chocolate Labrador with a big heart and a little problem: he's a dog and dogs can't eat chocolate. So instead of trick-or-treating for a treat he can't have, he bakes dog-safe pumpkin-bacon treats and gives them away, making sure no dog in the neighborhood feels left out on Halloween.
He sets out with no costume at all. But as he goes door to door, he discovers that each small act of kindness has a way of giving back, completing the missing pieces of his costume, and of himself.
Chonky first spots Riblet digging through a garbage can, hungry and alone, but one tiny bite of a pumpkin-bacon treat is all it takes for him to tag along. He's curious, always snacking, and crowned with a tinfoil hat that's forever changing shapes.
New friends, costumes, and personalities! Each new encounter has a different surprise for Chonky and Riblet. You'll have to open the book to meet them.
The illustrator hid this sneaky little worm throughout the story. How many times can you spot him?
"Every great sound system needs a good subWOOFer!"
Chonky isn't just a character. He's based on a real chocolate Labrador, the author's best friend and the inspiration behind every page. The kindness in this story is the kindness of a real dog, down to his paw-print autograph.
Follow the real-life Chonky · @chonkyandbutters
Labradillo Co. is an independent publisher in Austin, Texas, founded in 2026. We publish stories with creativity and heart.
The first book we ever wrote and had illustrated, 5+ years ago, was about an armadillo. The first book we'll publish is about a Labrador. We fused the two together and gave "Lab" a double meaning. Part Labrador, part laboratory, to highlight the creative process.
One important thing to know, before you close this book and go,
if a dog asks you for chocolate, you should always tell them NO!
Chocolate isn't good for dogs and can make them very sick.
Keep the chocolate for yourself and instead throw them a stick.
...Or a Pumpkin Bacon Treat!
Chonky can't eat chocolate, so he bakes his own treats to share instead. Join the pack and he'll send you the exact recipe from the story, straight to your inbox, along with first word on the release and what's next from Labradillo.
