The Beloved Dearly (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Tony DiTerlizzi (Illustrator) "Ernie looked like a total teacher's pet, standing at the blackboard in a clean shirt with his hair combed flat..." (more)
Key Phrases: iguana box, dead iguana, windup clock, Mister Doggie, Cat Lady, Chester Playboy (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cooney recasts his stage play of the same name as a debut novel featuring a funny, offbeat premise. When Ernie Castellano is busted at school for one of his get-rich-quick schemes hawking cheeseburgers on mystery meat day he's grounded. The discovery of an empty lot proves irresistible to the young entrepreneur, however, and soon he's sneaking behind his father's back to start a pet funeral business. With the help of a handful of employees, including a scruffy nine-year-old artist who makes the caskets, and Swimming Pool, a professional mourner who can cry on demand, business is soon booming. But Ernie grows increasingly dictatorial and estranged from his new friends, and not until the death of his own dog does he learn there's more to value in life than cold hard cash. Cooney's background as a playwright is evident in the tight arc of the story and in the snappy dialogue. Some of the zaniness has an edge of forced hilarity, and some characters are cliched including the fast-talking Ernie ("Tell Mom and Dad you're going to a movie, you need the popcorn, score the ten bucks, and give little Frisky the send-off he deserves"). But the themes are credibly developed and the ending in particular has emotional resonance. This is a likable story with solid appeal. Ages 8-12.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-The charming Norman Rockwell-style kids on the cover illustration will attract readers to this comedy about 12-year-old entrepreneur Ernie Castellano. It was originally a play produced by the Lincoln Center Institute and the playwright was asked to adapt it as a novel for children. Reminiscent of Robert McCloskey's Homer Price, Ernie is smart and creative, and his ideas generally produce hilarious results. Even though his father threatens to ground him if he continues to take advantage of people, when Ernie's mother dies and he realizes that funerals aren't free, this natural-born salesman decides to start a full-service funeral business for neighborhood pets. Along with Dusty, who designs elaborate coffins, and Swimming Pool, a tough tomboy who is the official crier, Ernie clears a vacant lot. He uses a cell phone to pick up those lucrative calls about expired bunnies, iguanas, and ant-farm colonies, and business booms until Ernie reneges on his promised raise to Swimming Pool. He's not the nicest of bosses. Only after his own dog dies and his father discovers what he's up to does Ernie realize that there is more to life than making money. His father allows one last funeral, Mister Doggie's, at which father and son grow closer in their grieving over the boy's mother, and Ernie realizes that his real knack is in bringing people together. Witty, clever, yet touching, this first novel has certain kid appeal.

Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; F edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689831277
• ISBN-13: 978-0689831270
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,615,850 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entrepreneurial spirit alive & well in Beloved Dearly, May 13, 2002

By	booktrout "booktrout" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews

How to describe this book? If you're under 13, think ABC Saturday Morning's "Recess" morphed with Nickelodeon humor (more sharper edged). If you're over 35, think "The Little Rascals" for a new millenium. I'm not doing it justice, but that's the best way to explain the kids in "Beloved Dearly." These are distinct and memorable kids, and out of scraps, odds and ends, and sheer will, they transform an abandoned lot (and their own lives) into a venture (and adventure) with a real (albeit moneymaking) purpose - to help the grieving children/pet-owners achieve closure with a funeral, including a viewing, eulogy, mourners, and custom-made coffins.

Ernie's the con man whose mind never stops working. Swimming Pool is tough but heartfelt as the girl who cries over the pet funerals Ernie stages. Dusty is the artist who pours his soul and his creative energy into the functional artwork (not mere coffins) that celebrate the lives of the dearly departed pets. And a whole rich cast of wacky characters (mostly kids but a couple of adults too) make childhood a whole lot cooler than you remember (if you're a grownup) or may be currently experiencing (if you're not).

Mind you, this was a stage play that Doug Cooney was asked to turn into a book, and so the dialogue is amazing, fluid, fun to read and fun to say aloud (and hear read aloud, for that matter - an audiobook version is on its way as of this writing, with a full cast of kids clearly having fun in their roles).

There's nothing vanilla in this sixteen scoop/seven different toppings/whipped cream with a cherry on top/sprinkles *and* nuts sundae of a book. It's inventive, unpredictable, engaging, and fun ...and touches upon several deeper themes without ever slowing down the pace or the language. The relationships between Ernie and his dad, and Swimming Pool and her brother, will tug at you long after the story ends, when you're no longer diverted by the snappy and clever dialogue and the subplots have time to sink in.

Just before she read this, my 10 year old daughter woke up one morning to find that her beloved crayfish (brought home from a 5th grade science "observation" project and tenderly cared for for weeks) had died in the night. She was utterly torn apart, just as much as if it had been a small furry mammal. Oddly enough, reading this book (even though it was a humorous look at pet funerals) helped her because it honored a whole host of "pets", not just the ones that look cute as babies.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Move aside,Harry Potter!, March 24, 2002

By	Melanie Ryan "melanieryan" (Hillsborough, CA United States) - See all my reviews

My sons, who are 9 and 10 years old, really loved this book.They laughed out loud through many of the chapters.They are not the most enthusiastic readers in town, so it was great to see them so engaged. It was also fun to hear them discussing what they had read and their take on childrens literature. They are fairly burned out on Harry Potter,and the Lemony Snicket books. The Beloved Dearly is by far their favorite book of all time, or so they say. Now we just have to wait for Mr. Cooneys next book to come out.Could you ask him to try to have it ready in time for our long flight to Orlando this June?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cooney Blockbuster, March 26, 2002

A Kid's Review

Doug Cooney bursts into the world of children's literature with his delightful story of love and loss. The pet funeral business is booming and characters like Swimming Pool, Ernie, and the dead bunny bring humor and warmth to his tale. Five thumbs up!