The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
written by Judith Viorst
illustrated by Erik Blegvad

A children's book about a pet's death.

Children's book review by Steve Barancik

Ages 4-8

Sometimes things just are what they are. They have to be accepted. Parents might be able to make things a little better, but they can't make things all better.

Written in the first person in simple, childlike prose, this is a little boy's account of his cat's death and the mourning that followed.

Mom has a hug for her son. She offers a funeral for Barney. She suggests her son think of ten good things about Barney to say at the ceremony.

She's giving him something to do, and isn't that what children need at a time like this?

Dad digs a grave. A little friend attends from next door. The little boy is able to think of nine good things about Barney. (For instance, that he only once ate a bird.) They sing a song and head inside for lunch.

Life goes on. Mom and Dad return to their own business.

The little boy remains upset and snaps at his little friend for saying Barney is in heaven.

Barney is in the ground, the boy says. He isn't going to take comfort by deluding himself, and his parents - to their credit - don't encourage him to.

Dad does invite his son to join him in the garden, where they consider how Barney's body will return to the earth and help things grow.

The boy takes some comfort from this. He decides that this is the tenth good thing about Barney.

I appreciate Viorst's proportionality. She doesn't try to turn something sad into something happy, nor does she depict parents overindulging their son as if the world just came to an end.

If the death of a cat is treated like the worst thing that could happen, what then when a beloved grandparent dies, or - God forbid - a parent or sibling?

Blegvad's black and white sketches are the perfect, mood-appropriate accompaniment for Viorst's text, but with two notable touches of whimsy. Facing the title page is a drawing of Barney himself, in a tree backed by a low sun, about to pounce on that one bird. And then, at the end, a sketch of Barney from behind, small against the white of a blank page, padding off with tail held high.

Judith Viorst has written many children's classics. This one is still in print 38 years after its initial publication.

Do your children have pets? If so, The Tenth Good Thing About Barney would be a good book to keep around.

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Children's books about a pet's death on Amazon.

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