Helps with the discussion about the circle of life

books:


	• Saying Goodbye to Lulu Corinne Demas, Ard Hoyt Little, Brown Young Readers, 2004 - 40 pages average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Helps with the discussion about the circle of life

Thankfully, our pet is neither old or sick; however, my daughter still loves the book. In the book, the changing seasons is a gentle metaphor for the life cycle. Highly recommend!

a tear jerker

I came across this book at our local library. I honestly just picked it off the shelf because "Lulu" looks a lot like our dog, and thought it would be a cute story about maybe losing a pet and finding it again. From the moment I began to read it, I realized what the story was really going to be about... And yes my 5 yr. old and I cried, and my 8 yr. old put on a brave face, but was very moved by the story. This brought up many questions concerning our own dogs life and when his possible death would be. It also has made my 5 yr. old more loving and gentle with our dog. It's a beautiful but very honest story. One that I imagine plays out in many households everyday.

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excellent choice after the death of a pet

I bought this story for my 3-year-old niece after her dog died. I read it to my girls before giving it to her and my 5-year-old and I both cried. The book is a very touching example of a girl's relationship with her dog. The pictures are excellent and the words simple enough for many ages. My sister said she found it helpful to help her daughter with the experience.

A Touching Book

In this heart-felt book, a young girl must learn to deal with the impending death of her beloved dog, Lu Lu. Told in first-person style, the little girl and her loyal dog have been friends for many years. Lu Lu wags her tail when the girl comes home from school, and they spend hours playing together. However, the little girl has noticed that Lu Lu is unable to do many of the things she used to. She's getting old, and she's lost her sight and hearing.

The little girl seems to realize what's happening to her best friend. She has to carry Lu Lu outside and feed her food and water to her. Lu Lu has lost most of her energy, and she spends most of her time sleeping.

Finally, the sad day arrives, and the girl's mother tells the little girl that Lu Lu has died. The little girl is sad, but she's also upset and angry. Her father tells her that she may have another dog, but she only wants Lu Lu back the way she was when she was a puppy. The family buries Lu Lu in a box in the back yard. The following spring, they plant a cherry tree over Lu Lu's tiny gravesite. Only then can the little girl say goodbye. She even gets a new puppy to love.

This is a very touching book. My family has a terminally ill dog, and this book helps young children to understand the grieving process in losing a beloved pet. My children have known our dog their entire lives, and great books like this one help them understand that its ok to be sad, upset, and even angry when a pet dies. The most important thing that this book points out is that eventually, the anger, pain, and sadness will eventually go away, then the child can look back on their times with the pet with happiness.

I give this book my highest recommendation. Children and adults who have lost, or are going to lose a pet will find its story touching and moving, and the ideas contained inside will help with the grieving process; not just the process for children, but adults as well.

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Loving LuLu

This box of Kleenex book is about a young girl preparing to say goodbye to her beautiful dog LuLu. She, like the young boy in I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU describes how she and the dog grew up together and have been lifelong friends. She recounts how she and her beautiful dog played together, yet lately her dog no longer can see or hear or move around comfortably. LuLu becomes lethargic and spends a lot of her time sleeping.

LuLu eventually dies and the girl's mother tells her the sad news. The girl goes through the usual and expected grieving states of sadness and anger. Her father tells her that she can pick out another dog, but the girl insists that LuLu in her healthier days is the only dog she wants.

Like the boy in I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, the family buries LuLu in their back yard. To honor the dog's memory, they plant a cherry tree over her grave. It is then when that tree is in blossom that the girl can finally say goodbye and fully accept the death of her beloved dog. She even gets a new puppy.

This is a very moving and wonderful book that might even make you cry. It was especially poignant for me because as a child I had a terrier mix who looked a lot like LuLu and I was quite sad when she became old and infirm and died. She was a wonderful dog.

This is a book that will help ALL ages move through and recognize the grieving process. Excellent books like this and I'll Always Love You, Old Dog and the Christmas Wish, Jasper's Day and The Rainbow Bridge: Pet Loss Is Heaven's Gain help children AND adults realize that not only is it okay to be sad, but it is understandable and even accepted. Anger is often part of the grieving process, especially when a beloved pet dies. This astute author reminds all readers and listeners that these feelings will eventually pass and in time the child and others who loved the pet can think fondly on the animal with love and happiness.

I give this book the highest possible endorsement. People of ANY age who have ever lost a pet or who have a pet near death will find comfort in this book.

To Corinne Demas, I say a heartfelt (with tears in my eyes) THANK YOU!

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reviews: page 1, 2

A young girl and her lovable dog, Lulu, are the best of friends and do everything together. As Lulu ages and starts to slow down the girl shows her compassion by making Lulu comfortable in her bed and helping to feed her. When Lulu dies the caring, young girl must comes to terms with her loss and find a way to say goodbye. This lyrical and touching story will tug at the heartstrings of all readers--young and old.

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