Title: Kate, the Ghost Dog: Coping With the Death of a Pet
Author: Wayne L. Wilson
Publisher: Magination Press
ISBN-13: 9781433805554
ISBN-10: 1433805545
Pages: 48, Paperback & Hardcover
Genre: Young Adult/Pets
Reviewed by: Beth Adams, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
In Kate, the Ghost Dog: Coping With the Death of a Pet, Wayne L. Wilson delicately weaves the threads of family support into a fabric of love and understanding to help a young girl cope with the loss of her beloved pet.
What is noticeably apparent is the way in which the book deals with the maturing feelings of a young girl becoming a young adult. Every child feels at times isolation and when some disappointment occurs the need to reach out to other family members is weighed against the desire to be left alone to deal with the personal loss. It is the breaking down of the personal barrier and opening the young girl’s feelings with the loving support of a functional family which is most enjoyable and well achieved in Wilson’s writings. The book, by design, shows others how to open themselves to the loving support of their family, and is a model for all types of losses, whether a pet or even a family member.
Beautifully illustrated by Soud, the book is gilded with just the right amount of imagery. Not too much to make it an overpowering picture book, and done with a style incorporating little tidbits and type style highlights. The book is a pleasure to the eyes and an easy, fast read. It certainly made me think of the loss I had with a pet awhile ago, and gives an uplifting message.
I recommend this for all family libraries and elementary schools. This book can be a gift to ones who recently suffered a loss of a pet or to ones that currently love a pet, enabling them to appreciate the days they have together. It shows that a pet’s love stays with a person forever.
