Comments on: Bye, Bye, Birdie: Children’s Picture Books About the Death of a Pet

By: 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom

1minutebookreviewswordpresscom — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 19:16:41 +0000

I suspect a lot of parents would love to know that there’s a book about pet death that mentions heaven (especially by somebody as respected as Rylant). My sense from looking a lot of these books is that the trend goes the other way — away from mentioning anything that might suggest religion. But so many parents do try to comfort children by saying “Fluffy is in heaven” even if they don’t quite believe it themselves. If they wanted find a book to support that messages, they might look for quite a long time … Hope some of them find their way here so they can read your good suggestion.

By: kinderny

kinderny — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:30:43 +0000

I probably should have put my comment/recommendation for Cynthia Rylant’s Dog Heaven here(feel free to delete the other):

The only book on pet death my daughter read/had was Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant. She/we loved it- but certainly it might conflict with a family’s religious beliefs (or lack thereof). Being a dog owner, it got me every time when I read it out loud to her. The pictures are simple and in bright colors.
Excerpt:
“Dog heaven has clear wide lakes
with geese who honk and flap
and tease. The dogs love this.

They run beside the water and bark
and bark and God watches them
from behind a tree and smiles.”

Ok maybe it is hokey, but it was spot on when the kid was 5.