Wonderful Goodbyes

by Kelly Wu

Overview

A tender, moving picture book about how saying goodbye to a beloved pet is a celebration of everyday and everlasting love.

How do you say goodbye to a beloved pet?
Is it quiet? Is it lonely? Is it sad?
Or can it be wonderful?

Family dog Bailey has been sleeping more and eating less. And her human best friend knows the time has come to say goodbye. So together they sit under their favorite blanket, go on their favorite walk, and visit their favorite spot, choosing joy over sadness. Although Bailey will be gone soon, she will never be forgotten.

With evocative art and bittersweet text, Kelly Wu’s debut picture book is a tender portrait of a special bond, imbued with the love that gives grief its power and the comfort that memories hold. The perfect book to help with discussions of grief and loss.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316313322
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/02/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	622,868
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kelly Wu was born in Taiwan and spent her teenage years roaming the hills in New York. She almost walked down a path of medicine before switching majors to pursue her passion in art and storytelling. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, she moved to Los Angeles to make art for books and animation. Wonderful Goodbyes is her debut picture book.

Editorial Reviews

Deftly crafted and poignant, a loving guide to farewells.”—Kirkus

“A beautifully rendered, lyrical depiction of the feelings of a child as their pet’s life nears its end.”—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

05/31/2024

PreS-Gr 3—A young dog owner who presents as Asian features in the illustrations and anticipates the death of her beloved pet by spending the day saying goodbye to all of the things, sounds, and activities they have enjoyed together. In her debut picture book, Wu's gorgeous digital illustrations allow readers to see and feel the warmth of the sunlight the pet enjoyed in the past, which is in contrast with the snowy day of the present in a comfortable suburban setting, surrounded by loving family. The story's message, to enjoy each last moment together and say goodbye while knowing that the one that is dying will remain in one's heart forever, is told in the second person. The "you" addressed, however, is the dying dog. This authorial choice sometimes comes across as an adult's need to creatively express rather than a deep consideration for the youthful audience: "It paints you like a Monet" and "they dance to the spring waltz, just for you." Still, for libraries where there is demand for sensitive stories about preparing for loss and death that feature a middle grade narrator, this book may be a necessary purchase. VERDICT Don't let readers mistake the sun-dappled girl and her dog in a meadow on the cover for a happy book about pets instead of the tearjerker it is; it's a beautifully rendered, lyrical depiction of the feelings of a child as their pet's life nears its end.—Jessica Fenster-Sparber

School Library Journal

2024-02-03
A family says goodbye to a beloved pet.

An unnamed child eyes the fluffy white dog resting nearby: “You have been sleeping more but eating less, playing less, even barking less,” the young narrator observes. The little one is aware that the canine “will be going somewhere far” and only wishes “I could hold you forever.” As the methodically paced narrative continues, the child decides to fill the dog’s remaining days with “wonderful goodbyes.” A pattern is established as the duo visit favorite places and objects for a formal farewell. “Do you see your toys bowing their heads? Goodbye, toys.” “Perhaps you’d like a car ride around our hilly town, through the tunnel of trees?” “Goodbye mellow breeze.” Warm, blended colors, textured with soft lines, create a sentimental tone in sync with the emotional weight of the subject. The narrator reflects on a peaceful moment: “Remember when we’d fall asleep under the summer clouds, the sun hugging us with its gentle rays?” The repeated goodbyes guide young readers along as the narrator plays a favorite song before the dog closes its eyes, “falling asleep. / Goodbye, songs and heartbeats.” After the dog’s passing, the child notes that the dog’s memory will live on, “in all the wonderful hellos and goodbyes. And always with me. / Hello, my dearest. Goodbye.” Human characters present East Asian.

Deftly crafted and poignant, a loving guide to farewells. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews