Bound To Stay Bound

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 Remembering Barkley
 Author: Frankel, Erin

 Publisher:  Whitman (2020)

 Classification: Easy
 Physical Description: [32] p., col. ill., 23 x 28 cm

 BTSB No: 351194 ISBN: 9780807594483
 Ages: 4-8 Grades: K-3

 Subjects:
 Grief -- Fiction
 Dogs -- Fiction
 Loss (Psychology) -- Fiction

Price: $6.50

Summary:
When Barkley doesn't come home, Bear misses his friend. He no longer wants to take walks or play fetch. But as the seasons change, Bear and his human Jacob help each other through their grief.

 Illustrator: Yang, Aboo

Reviews:
   Kirkus Reviews (10/15/20)
   School Library Journal (11/01/20)

Full Text Reviews:

School Library Journal - 11/01/2020 K-Gr 2—Bear, a loyal black dog, and his owner Jacob, a white boy, mourn Barkley, the second dog in their home. From Bear's point of view, Barkley just doesn't come home one day, and the loss is never defined or explained. As narrator, Bear acts as a stand-in for readers, but Bear muddles through with no guidance, adults, understanding, or ritual to help with healing. "'Bring the ball back, Bear. Bring it back!'/ Jacob's face was the color of my leash, "'Bring HIM back!' he hollered as he came toward me." When Jacob breaks down and cries after yelling, Bear thinks the boy is raining, which, while a deft representation of what this dog might think, is confusing rather than clarifying, since Jacob's outburst isn't explained. The book includes "Talking About Grief," a section with information for caregivers to use with young children; however, the text itself is only marginally useful in this regard since it doesn't model the stated key concepts such as "being truthful, keeping explanations simple, sharing facts in an age-appropriate way, and reminding children that the loss of death they experienced was not their fault and they did not cause it." Yang's bright digital illustrations portray the characters' feelings through body language and facial expression but don't make the book more accessible to young readers. VERDICT Older readers who are grieving may find peace in this measured, poetic title, but a better choice of bibliotherapy for younger children is Robie H. Harris's Goodbye Mousie.Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Lib., MN - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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