I'll Always Love You [Hardcover]

Hans Wilhelm (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1988 | Age Level: 4 and up

Illus. in full color. "In this gentle, moving story, Elfie, a dachshund, and her special boy progress happily through life together. One morning Elfie does not wake up. The family grieves and buries her. The watercolor illustrations, tender and warm in color and mood, suit the simple text perfectly."--School Library Journal.  

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 In this gentle, moving story, Elfie, a dachshund, and her special boy progress happily through life together. When she is young, Elfie is full of pep and pranks; but as her master grows taller and taller, Elfie grows fatter and slower. One morning Elfie does not wake up. The family grieves and buries her, and the boy refuses a new puppy. He is not yet ready for another pet; but when he is, he will tell that one, as he told Elsie every night, "I'll always love you." The watercolor illustrations, tender and warm in color and mood and cozily rounded in form, suit the simple text perfectly. Elsie's gradual change from a lively mischief-maker to a portly old dog is treated with a sweet humor. Viorst's The Tenth Good Thing About Barney (Atheneum, 1971) and Cohen's Jim's Dog Muffins (Greenwillow, 1984) also treat the loss of a beloved pet with great understanding, but anyone who has or ever had an old dog in the family will be especially touched by this book. Pat Pearl, First Presbyterian Church Library, Martinsville, Va.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

Illus. in full color. "In this gentle, moving story, Elfie, a dachshund, and her special boy progress happily through life together. One morning Elfie does not wake up. The family grieves and buries her. The watercolor illustrations, tender and warm in color and mood, suit the simple text perfectly."--School Library Journal.  

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (November 15, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517556480
• ISBN-13: 978-0517556481
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,094,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A LOVING STORY WITH A GOOD MESSAGE, February 8, 2002

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: I'll Always Love You (Paperback)

A boy and his chubby hound, Elfie are the closest friends. They share developmental milestones and secrets. The gentle illustrations show the bond between the two; in one picture, the boy, then barely more than an infant mounts a toilet seat while his dog tinkles on the floor. The parallel between the two and their developmental milestones from pup to dog and from toddler to older child are beautifully chronicled.

As Elfie ages, she is no longer able to romp and play. Her stiffened joints and fatigue are taxed on her advanced age. She is taken to a kindly vet, who says that he cannot treat her, but the best thing to do is make her happy and comfortable.

Elfie eventually dies and the boy sadly buries her after openly sharing his grief. He vows that he will tell every pet he owns that he will always love that animal.

A wonderful book of healing and bonding; truly the best book dealing with the death of a pet that I have come across. I think the message of telling a loved one, human or pet that you will always love them is a lesson worth learning.

Thank you, Mr. Wilhelm!

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book..., May 15, 2000

By 

goodoldmac "goodoldmac" (Charlotte, North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'll Always Love You (Paperback)

There are some books I think should be in every household, and if you have both children and pets, this is one of them. Dealing with the death of a beloved pet is difficult enough for anyone, let alone a child, but this book helps. In fact, I would recommend this book to adult pet owners as well. Nothing will stop the pain of the loss of course, but "I'll Always Love You" helps bring back the happiness and lets the healing begin. I have been a booster of this book for years and hope it NEVER goes out of print. Do yourself a favor and buy this warm story of Effie, "the best dog in the whole world" and her boy....

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Has The Same Magic, June 18, 2001

By 

Donna C. Lambert (River Forest, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'll Always Love You (Hardcover)

As a little girl I read this book when my dog was dying. It truly helped me deal with his death and realize that is okay to be sad. It is a wonderful tool to help children understand death a bit better. Few books since my childhood have made such an impression on me as this one, and it is the only book from my childhood I still keep on my shelf as a college student. In fact, my cat grew very sick of cancer and I read this book again to make myself feel better about the situation. And I have never forgotten to utter Hans Wilhelm's words into my pets' ears. And right before my cat died, I whispered "I will always love you" just as the little boy in the story did.