JIMMY

In this illustrated sequel, a little dog struggles with the death of his best friend and the arrival of a new pooch in the house.

Jimmy, a small dog with three good legs and an eye lost to a snake bite, adores Arrow, his shaggy, tough housemate. As established in Mills’ previous children’s book, Jimmy: Toughest. Dog. Ever. (2015), the canines have bonded with each other and their human caretakers, Lola and Stan. In this touching sequel targeting a wider range of readers (its graceful treatment of love and loss will resonate with many adults, too), Arrow dies. Grieving Jimmy (whose speech is distinguished by italicized text) tries to understand when Stan comforts him: “Nothing ever dies. Nothing ever really dies. Everything’s always changing.” Never glib, Jimmy’s journey toward acceptance is subtly underscored by the changing seasons. When autumn brings Gus, a gentle rescue dog, to the family, Jimmy is resentful at first. He tells the big, friendly newcomer: “This is my house. These are my people. You don’t belong here. You’re doing everything wrong. Arrow would never lie down by the pond while birds and squirrels ran through the yard.” But Jimmy soon learns from Lola that “a heart can stretch….It can hold more and more and more. A heart can hold more than you would ever think.” The soft quality of debut illustrator Gauthier’s beautifully executed images, positioned at the tops and bottoms of pages throughout, deepen readers’ connection to the heartwarming narrative. (The website toughestdogever.com includes a useful discussion guide for kids.)

A lovely, resonant, child-appropriate tale about loss and the cycle of grief and healing.