Hadley Dyer

This may be a helpful book for a parent to read with a young child dealing with the death of a pet. It focuses on a young boy mourning the loss of his dog, Angus. Initially, he feels Angus around him: under the table at supper, at the end of his bed at night. His sister finds the boy’s behaviour weird. (I honestly can’t imagine allowing an older sibling to respond a distressed younger sibling in the way this girl does.)

The family apparently buried Angus “in a sunny spot”, yet the illustration shows the grave under a tree. No one who gardens would ever think of burying a larger animal in such a spot. There are tree roots to contend with. The family has planted seeds over the grave, but it seems to me there’s no guarantee they’ll get sufficient light when the leaves open in the spring.

There’s initially a kind of coldness to this book. What redeems it somewhat is the father telling stories about Angus. Eventually the family makes a book about the dog that the young boy can look through.

It’s unclear how much time has elapsed when the mother suggests that Angus’s things should be given to a relative with a new puppy. Frankly, I found it all a bit heartless and chilly. Even the older sister cries at the thought of Angus’s things being gone.

In time, Dyer shows, the young boy feels Angus’s presence less and is able to engage with life without always thinking of his dog.

I greatly disliked the comic book illustrations. Yes, they’re serviceable enough and basically go with the text. Nothing more.

As mentioned, some may find this helpful, but there are much better books out there.

Just average.

2.5 stars… (altro)