Every morning, seven-year-old Lincoln Parker Maura Lane walks to the school bus with her buddy, her little black pup Sabu, by her side.

And every night when Maura hits the sack, Sabu – a gentle, 15-year-old cocker spaniel/rottweiler mix – is by her side in bed, too.

“I feed him and give him water and he sleeps with me,” said Maura, an adorable and impressive second grader who speaks French and loves to travel.

To share her lifetime of love and memories with Sabu, Maura has written her first book, Sabu & Me, a heartwarming story of the wonderful times the pair has spent together since Maura was born. The book, which Maura wrote with a little help from her dad, Jeff Markowitz, tells of Maura’s earliest recollections with Sabu, who Maura says is 105 years old in people years.

“This book is about a dog and a child who loved my dog,” Maura said.

Sabu was a sick stray found on the streets of St. Louis by Maura’s mom, Marianne, when he was three or four. Marianne nursed Sabu back to good health, and since then, he has lived in Chicago and London, where he chased the Queen’s guards every morning.

Since Sabu was a rescue dog, Maura thought it was a good idea to donate some of her book profits to PAWS, the city’s largest no-kill humane organization.

Sabu & Me is filled with illustrator Hazel Mitchell’s colorful drawings. The book is not Maura’s first fundraiser for PAWS either. Last summer, for example, she sold lemonade for the organization.

“This is definitely her charity of choice,” said dad Jeff, who is president of WheeGO, a find-n-seek game with clues.

Maura – who’s featured in the latest PAWS magazine, Angel Tales – said she felt “excellent” to be an author raising money for a good cause. Markowitz said the book was Maura’s idea and she “worked on the design of every single page.”

“We are really proud of her,” he said. “Sabu was very standoffish when Maura was born but they have grown over time to be best friends. She truly loves him. It is really amazing.”

Sabu & Me is hardcover and $14.95 at www.sabuandme.com and online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Borders. It’s a sweet holiday gift that keeps on giving, and a great way to show kids not only the unconditional love our four-legged friends give us, but also the value of friendship. Reminds me of me and my first dog, Frisky, also a cocker spaniel.

STORIED Check out “Sidewalks: Photographs by Charles Osgood & Stories by Rick Kogan”, opening Nov. 19, at the Chicago Tourism Center Gallery, 72 E. Randolph. From 5 to 7 p.m. is a reception with the authors, who will also hold a conversation about their adventures at 12:15 p.m. Nov. 20.

BACKING CITY MOVES Diversey Harbor Lakeview Association executive director Gene Fisher reports that high-rise condo officials endorsed two recently adopted city ordinances that simplified two of DHLA buildings’ important maintenance procedures without compromising public safety: inspection of exterior surfaces and maintenance of elevators. The association also welcomed two new members at its recent fall meeting.

WINNING WINE Lincoln Parker Arno Traunche and Binny’s buyer Barbara Herman were recent winners of Geja’s Café’s 36th Annual Pro/Am Wine Tasting Contest. Wine quaffers gathered at Geja’s, 340 W. Armitage, to test their taste buds against experts and amateurs. Traunche won the amateur division and Herman, the professional winner, has won the seven times, the most in the contest’s history!