The Old Dog [Hardcover]

Charlotte Zolotow (Author), James Ransome (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Once there was a dog who loved to run and jump and play. She was the best friend Ben -- or any little boy -- could have. But as Ben got older, so did his dog. One morning, Ben's old dog didn't open her eyes or wag her tail. She didn't even move.

Charlotte Zolotow's remarkable insight into a universal experience -- the hurt and confusion a child feels after his first encounter with death -- is poignantly echoed by James Ransome's striking oil paintings.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With pensive, autumnal oils, Ransome (Aunt Flossie's Hats & Crab Cakes Later) tenderly illustrates this quiet book about the death of a pet. Each full-page painting faces a text page bordered with a panel of fallen leaves-a fitting symbol of the natural but painful close of the life cycle. Ben, the African American protagonist, discovers that his old dog has died. The ordinary events that follow help define both what it means to die ("Ben went to pat his dog good morning. She didn't open her eyes") and to mourn ("He walked to school slowly, and when he came home, old dog wasn't at the door to meet him"). Ben grieves over the dog; in a particularly moving, uncaptioned painting, Ransome shows Ben using his fists to block the tears in his eyes. In the half-expected conclusion, his parents bring home a new puppy. Coming so abruptly on the heels of Ben's well-explicated sorrow, the boy's instant joy rings a bit false. Nonetheless, Zolotow's simple, comprehensible insights into death redeem the formula ending. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2?In this newly illustrated edition of a 1972 title (Coward, o.p.), a young boy's old dog dies one morning. The day passes slowly and sadly as the child comes to understand the loneliness created by such a loss. At the height of his grief, the mood quickly changes to joy as his father brings home a new puppy to love. The large, bold type and simple vocabulary and sentence structure make the book ideal for beginning readers. The text captures the boy's pain, despite the flaw of an easy (albeit happy) final solution. Dense oil paintings rendered in fall colors of orange, brown, and green use many closeups to keep the book's focus on emotions. Ransome is masterful at showing the African American child's feelings, and his richly hued illustrations capture the intensity of his grief. The borders of fall leaves are lovely, if a bit cliched, but all in all, this is a worthy purchase.?Martha Topol, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Revised edition (July 20, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060244097
• ISBN-13: 978-0060244095
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,310,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I can't recommend this book., March 21, 2010

By 

M. Laiuppa "Patriotic American" (Citizen, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Old Dog (Hardcover)

I've read and I own many dog books and quite a few on the loss of a pet.

I cannot recommend this book to join my collection.

The weakness in this book is that in the end the boy's grief is assuaged by the introduction of a puppy into the family. This is what I call the "old yeller" fix; that as long as there is a puppy everything is better. If you recall some of the old Disney movies like Bristleface, the death of the dog is somehow 'fixed' because the dog fathered a litter of puppies. New life is supposed to fix everything.

Everyone grieves in different ways. Parents thinking they can help their child by introducing a new puppy immediately to take the place of the old dog may encounter resentment or rejection of the new addition.

For this reason I would recommend many other books, I will always love you, A dog like Jake, Saying goodbye to Lulu among them. But not this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sensitive topic for young children, April 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Old Dog (Hardcover)

I think any child who is dealing with the death of a pet will want to hear this story. They can relate to the boy not being able to understand where his dog went. The oil paintings are touching and give the reader a sense for the boy's sadness when he exclaims, "I miss you," to the air. This book will show children how to empathize with others.