  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 08/01/2019 *Starred Review* At first glance, a guide to backyard funerals might seem morbid or glib—especially after viewing its lovely animal skeleton endpapers—but this picture book offers earnest advice to kids needing to say goodbye to a beloved pet, using language that is sympathetic but not euphemistic. Lucianovic refers to pets as a child’s “Something Wonderful” and proceeds to offer step-by-step advice for burying, reminiscing, and grieving when Something Wonderful becomes Something Dead. The book opens with a two-page spread divided into four panels, each showing a kid discovering a deceased pet—a goldfish, a turtle, a guinea pig, and a pill bug. Next comes planning a funeral specialized to the pet. A touch of humor is integrated into the practical steps and digital illustrations: finding an appropriate box (such as a shoe box, rather than a Jack-in-the-box) and digging a small hole in the yard (a hippo-sized hole will require a city permit). But emotional expression also gets its due, validating being tongue-tied, sharing stories about the pet, crying, laughing, and even singing. Lucianovic reminds young readers that while a funeral is sad, “It’s not the end of everything. You can always begin Something Wonderful again.” This frank but tender guide offers consolation and hope to children as they cope with loss and move forward to bright, new (Wonderful) things. - Copyright 2019 Booklist. Loading...
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