About the Book Beyond Words

Get ready for an intergalactic adventure exploring the depths of empathy, love, and understanding! When Buddy’s friend is returning to school after being in the hospital, he wants to find the perfect words to make her feel better.

Through the magic of his imagination, he journeys through outer space in search of what to say. After a series of heartwarming experiences and out-of-this-world encounters, he overcomes obstacles and discovers ways to express love and friendship through helping, spending time together, loving touch, and giving.

Beyond Words empowers readers of all ages to be kind, loving, and compassionate with themselves and others. Kids will learn coping and comforting skills, as well as ways to take action to help friends and communicate love and support beyond words.

Inspired by the overwhelming response to its My Special Aflac Duck® program supporting children with cancer and blood disorders, Beyond Words is Aflac’s newest message of love and compassion, with 100 percent of the net proceeds from this book going to childhood cancer and blood disorders research and treatment.

Aflac Gives Back

Aflac was founded in 1955, and within two years had created a new product that has helped millions of people, with a first of its kind cancer insurance policy. Forty years later, Chairman and CEO Dan Amos pledged $3 million to support what was to become the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which today, stands as one of the premier pediatric cancer and blood disorders facilities in America.

This gift laid the foundation for Aflac’s continuing corporate philanthropy focus, which reached a milestone in 2025 of 30 years and nearly $200 million to date given in support of pediatric cancer and blood disorders research and treatment.

In 2018, Aflac debuted My Special Aflac Duck, a social robot that offers a sense of comfort, joy and control to children undergoing cancer treatment and children living with sickle cell. Since then, Aflac has distributed nearly 40,000 My Special Aflac Ducks completely free of charge to more than 500 hospitals and childhood cancer associations in the United States, Japan and Northern Ireland.

My Special Aflac Duck was evaluated in a three-year longitudinal clinical trial. Findings suggest pediatric cancer patients who interacted with My Special Aflac Duck experienced reductions in distress, nausea, pain, and treatment and procedural anxiety compared to patients who did not. The success of this program, which highlights the power of compassion, empathy and love, provided the impetus for our new children’s book, Beyond Words, knowing that when a friend is in need, it is not always what you say that matters most, it is what you do.

To learn more, visit AflacChildhoodCancer.org.