Book Reviews: Dog Heaven and Cat Heaven

Author: Cynthia Rylant
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up


Description:
A warm, whimsical picture book about the wonderful place where all good dogs go for an endless supply of ham biscuits, good meals and lots of petting.






Description:
Via simple verse and bold and folk-art illustrations, Cat Heaven is a place where cats have an eternal supply of catnip, tuna, and warm laps.






Why They Are On My Bookshelf: (Heads up - there is some God talk in this review) Well, get your tissues out. You're going to need them after reading these. They are beautiful. When I was younger and we lost our Irish Setter I was quite concerned (like the good Catholic I was) about whether or not dogs made it to heaven or not. I wanted to know our family member was OKAY and HAPPY. Yes, I was one of those kids who just wouldn't let it drop. I worried a lot about our pup and asked my mom all kinds of questions about death and animals. My mom told me a story about how dogs, cats, and all animals had a place in heaven and were taken care of. I cannot tell you how comforting this was to hear. It helped me to move on and have peace about it. So when I found Dog Heaven and Cat Heaven it was like listening to that healing story all over again. So if you are a spiritual family, these are books you should consider reading to your child if a pet passes. If you are not spiritual, I still think you should read them. They are not preachy and I also noticed God is different hues throughout the pages. I've used this line in other reviews and have to say it again....this is bibliotherapy at it's best.

A Link to These Books and Others You Might Find Helpful:

2 comments

  1. I love your blog. It is awesome!
    I was thinking of a book that might fit under the tag of Pet Loss. It's called Up In Heaven by Emma Chinchester Clark. We picked this up at the library a year or so ago, just something random my daughter picked up. It's one of our faves. We have loved and lost a dog, and have two dogs now. Our life wouldn't be complete without them!

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  2. Oh wow....just read the reviews on amazon. Looks healing! And am definitely going to order and review. I also just finished reading Old Coyote by Nancy Wood and it also is such a beautiful way to talk about grief. Thank you for reading my blog! It's a labor of love for sure.

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