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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
missmadamemoon's review
2.0
At first, I thought this was a really great book. I could definitely relate - I had my share of small pets with short lives when I little. I don't remember reading any books like this, and I do think they would have been helpful. But, then it ended on a sour note. I just didn't care for it. The little boy lost his mouse and went through denial, anger, and sadness. But he wasn't okay at the end of the book. He says maybe he'll get another mouse, someday, but not yet. It just felt a little too somber. I guess that's how it is when a pet dies, but since it's for kids, I would have liked to have seen him get a new mouse and be very happy with it.
annabannana's review
4.0
This is a book that does not address what happens to the soul after we die. It doesn't discuss things like heaven, and whether mice go there. I prefer books that don't talk about heaven, so that was a plus. I think that's better left up the the individual family to discuss. The book addresses what those of us who are left behind deal with.
There are some helpful parts to the book. Losing someone you love can lead to denial, anger, sadness, and a need to do something to honor the one who was lost and deal with your grief. This is shown in a way that can help young children process this. However, I have mixed feelings about a lot of what the book does. I don't believe someone who has died will be experiencing things like hunger or boredom anymore. I see nothing wrong with burying a mouse with food and toys, but I do see something wrong in suggesting that otherwise the poor dead creature would have been suffering without these things. I discussed with C that when someone dies, they will NOT be feeling things like hunger or boredom anymore.
I thought the ending was very appropriate - it honors the feelings we have when we lose someone. You can never replace someone, and we shouldn't try, though you can find new mice/pets/people to love, when you are ready.
In our family's recent losses, C has not been able to hold or bury anyone after they died, so the process of an actual burial in the book was not itself helpful to understanding our experiences, though the process of having some kind of memorial is still relevant for us.
There are some helpful parts to the book. Losing someone you love can lead to denial, anger, sadness, and a need to do something to honor the one who was lost and deal with your grief. This is shown in a way that can help young children process this. However, I have mixed feelings about a lot of what the book does. I don't believe someone who has died will be experiencing things like hunger or boredom anymore. I see nothing wrong with burying a mouse with food and toys, but I do see something wrong in suggesting that otherwise the poor dead creature would have been suffering without these things. I discussed with C that when someone dies, they will NOT be feeling things like hunger or boredom anymore.
I thought the ending was very appropriate - it honors the feelings we have when we lose someone. You can never replace someone, and we shouldn't try, though you can find new mice/pets/people to love, when you are ready.
In our family's recent losses, C has not been able to hold or bury anyone after they died, so the process of an actual burial in the book was not itself helpful to understanding our experiences, though the process of having some kind of memorial is still relevant for us.
pwbalto's review
5.0
This is the closest thing to a perfect death-of-a-pet book I've ever seen. No euphemisms, no metaphors, abundant acknowledgement of the validity of a small child's feelings - both sorrow and anger.
Wonderful pencil and watercolor drawings by perhaps my favorite realistic illustrator of all time - Jan Ormorod - are the perfect accompaniment to Robie Harris's sympathetic but no-nonsense text.
Wonderful pencil and watercolor drawings by perhaps my favorite realistic illustrator of all time - Jan Ormorod - are the perfect accompaniment to Robie Harris's sympathetic but no-nonsense text.
koby's review
3.0
This is not my preferred children's book for discussing loss with a young child, but I think it could work well for others.
libscote's review
3.0
This is a good introductory book to pet death for toddlers. It covers the full range of emotions they might feel. There are a few books I like better because they include more tips for parents, but this is an excellent choice for a library collection.
kmcbee's review against another edition
4.0
Good depiction of the anger and sadness that we feel when we lose someone we love. She mentions how we sometimes think our loved one will still be here, say when we wake up in the morning, but he will not be. And no sugaring it up with heaven. Honest and forthright.