jdhauer's Full Review: Cynthia Rylant - Dog Heaven
We recently were forced to make the tough decision to put our most adorable (and most beloved) 11 year old miniature schnauzer, Amos, to sleep. Amos had diabetes (receiving shots of insulin three times a day), was deaf and had recently also suddenly gone blind. When it came to the point where we had to carry him in and out of the house every time he needed to go as he could no longer navigate the stairs, we knew that we had to say goodbye.
Amos' death was hard on me because he was *my* dog. I had picked him out (or as I tell the story, he chose me). We got him right after we were married. He slept at the foot of the bed and it was my ankle where he rested his chin every night so it was there when I woke up. But, as an adult, I have more tools to deal with grief than my children do.
They had no idea how to handle it. My older daughter tried humor, singing "I don't care about Amos!" to the tune of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game". My younger daughter had nothing but questions: "Why take Amos to office? Why not come home? Go back and get him!"
When browsing at the bookstore, I remembered that our veterinarian had a copy of Cynthia Rylant's "Dog Heaven" in her children's book basket that was in her waiting room. I picked up a copy and brought it home to the kids where we sat in bed together and read the book, tears running down our smiling faces.
The Story
Some people say that heaven is only for people and true believers at that. Animals have no place there. I hold the opposite approach thinking that it is such hubris to put ourselves above every other form of life on this planet and in this universe. If admission to heaven is based upon "being good", then no one fits that bill more than a dog with the unconditional love that they share with their owners. If heaven is a place for people only, then I want no part of it. If there is an afterlife, it would only be complete for me with dogs there (as well as many other creatures).
I think that Cynthia Rylant holds the same opinion that I do, based upon the story she has written about in "Dog Heaven".
In "Dog Heaven", dogs run and bark. They play with Angel Children and eat dog biscuits. All of them are "Good Dogs" and they sleep on beds made of clouds. They all have comfortable homes and those who belonged to someone get to check up on their former masters and mistresses. Eventually, those "Angel Dogs" are waiting when old friends come to call.
Both of my children have truly embraced Ms. Rylant's vision of "Dog Heaven". My eldest regularly gives me updates about what Amos is doing. Usually, he's playing with other dogs that I had when I was growing up that I've told her about. Sometimes, he's eating dog biscuits. He does a lot of playing with his old toys, the "donkeybutt" and the "monkeybutt". She seems much more at peace with it since we brought the book home. My younger daughter is only 2 so she doesn't really get any of this yet and still asks for Amos. Both are *begging* for another dog!
Illustrations
Unlike many other children's authors, Cynthia Rylant did her own illustrations in this book. This was the first book she ever painted and each page was done with acrylics.
I really like the bright oranges, purples and greens throughout which set off the white, black, gray and tan dogs. The paintings are quite primitive but you get a sense of motion throughout. My favorite is the scene with the dogs turning around and around on their cloud beds before settling in for the night.
Some may quibble withthe way God is portrayed as an old man with a moustache and a bandanna around his neck. I think he looks like a friendly, fatherly dog lover.
Final Thoughts
"Dog Heaven" is a lovely book that has made losing a beloved, furry member of the family a lot easier for all of us. I'd definitely purchase this again if something happened to the copy we already own.
God created Dog Heaven, a place where dogs can eat ice cream biscuits, sleep on fluffy clouds, and run through unending fields.More at Barnes & Noble.com
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