Sometimes Learning is just Learning

[Dog_Heaven] Dog Heaven, by Cynthia Rylant, is "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." Written and illustrated by one of my favorite authors, it is well worth looking for.

Another great book to use with children is A Special Place for Charlee : A Child's Companion through Pet Loss , by Debby Morehead. It tells how a family deals with the loss of their beloved dog. Says a Booklist reviewer, "This simply told story is right on the mark in legitimizing a family's, and particularly a child's, grief over the loss of a pet."

Some additional resources teachers and parents may find useful are:

Explaining Pet Loss to Children: Six Do's and Don'ts

Pet Loss: Understanding Grief in Children

Helping a Child Through a Pet's Loss

Grieving for a Lost Pet, Losing a Classroom Pet

Now, just about a month later, I find that while I still miss my little girl every day, I have taken many steps toward healing with help from some of the resources listed here. And we do have our young and robust JJ to make us laugh and mend our broken hearts a bit, too.

For anyone who has experienced this special kind of grief, I offer these thoughts and resources that you, too, will find the path to healing.

Copyright 2002 Irene Taylor All rights reserved.

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