Nechama Liss-Levinson, PhD, and Rev. Molly Phinney Baskette, MDiv
Honest, caring words and hands-on
activities to help kids accept and
grow through the loss of
a beloved pet.
Why did this happen? How do I feel?
What can I
do? What happens next?
The death of a pet is often a
child’s first encounter with grief. How your child learns
to cope through this experience may affect his or her attitude
into adulthood. Drawing on concepts from psychology and a broad
multifaith perspective, this supportive workbook provides a
sensitive and practical resource that will help children ages 7
to 13 cope with the death of a beloved animal. Children can
write, draw, read, create and express feelings via concrete,
hands-on activities including:
• Becoming a Memory Detective to
piece together clues to remember their pet
• Planning a memorial service and
making a pet memorial
• Recording photo memories of their
pet
• Honoring their pet’s memory
by giving to others
Open and gentle, this book will help your
child—and you as the parent—understand difficult
concepts and communicate deep feelings as your child grows
through this personal season of mourning.
“Sensitive, inviting and respectful
of both kids and animals … may help grieving young people
tremendously as they take up life again after a beloved pet has
died.”
—Sy
Montgomery, author, The Good, Good Pig
and Journey of the Pink Dolphins
“Provides a mirror not only into the
life of a pet, but also into the heart and soul of the
pet’s young owner.”
—Nancy
Sohn Swartz, author, In Our Image: God’s First Creatures and How Did the
Animals Help God?
“Spiritually wise and
psychologically sound … leads parents and their children
tenderly and creatively through the painful process of
healing—the authors well understand that children do not
lose just their pet, they lose a beloved member of their
family.”
—Rev.
August Gold, author, Where Does God Live?
“[The death of a pet] can loom large
and last long in the lives of young children (and their
parents). This book provides a sensitive process for
integrating this experience into a richer understanding of who
all of God’s creatures are to each other.”
—Eliot
Daley, former producer, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood; author, Father
Feelings
Lynn L. Caruso,
educator and wildlife advocate, is editor of Blessing the Animals: Prayers and Ceremonies to
Celebrate God’s Creatures, Wild and Tame (SkyLight Paths).
