The Tenth Good Thing About Barney

by Judith Viorst, Erik Blegvad (illustrator)

published	September 30th 1987 by Aladdin
first published	1971
binding	Paperback
isbn	0689712030 (isbn13: 9780689712036)
pages	32
description	My cat Barney died this Friday. I was very sad. My mother said we could have a funeral for him, and I should think of ten good things about Barney so I could tell them... ...more [close] My cat Barney died this Friday. I was very sad. My mother said we could have a funeral for him, and I should think of ten good things about Barney so I could tell them... But the small boy who loved Barney can only think of nine. Later, while talking with his father, he discovers the tenth -- and begins to understand. [close]
date added	02-21-07 edit book

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Abigail rated it:

(review of isbn 0689206887)

06/21/08

bookshelves: picture-books

recommends it for: Anyone Who has Lost a Cat, or Other Animal Companion

At roughly 2pm this afternoon my cat - friendly and loving little beast, hair-raising terror, and long-time companion - breathed her last. Sixteen years old, Kitty (no, I didn't name her) had been with me for half the span of my life, and although she had been ill for some time, it was still a heart-breaking decision to have her euthanized. As my mother and I sat with her while the injection took effect, we found ourselves recalling all the wonderful ways she had contributed to our home and fami...more At roughly 2pm this afternoon my cat - friendly and loving little beast, hair-raising terror, and long-time companion - breathed her last. Sixteen years old, Kitty (no, I didn't name her) had been with me for half the span of my life, and although she had been ill for some time, it was still a heart-breaking decision to have her euthanized. As my mother and I sat with her while the injection took effect, we found ourselves recalling all the wonderful ways she had contributed to our home and family.

Kitty was my mother's "prayer cat," and would sit next to her every morning, purring as loudly as possible, while my mother said her daily "prayers and meditations." She was a sociable little beast (except when she wasn't) and I have fond memories of the many times she would come sit with me on the sofa, while I was curled up, reading a book. She had this adorable habit of coming out of her bed (or the forbidden closet) to greet me when I got home, lolling about on her back, hoping to trick me into petting her tummy. Little hussy - as if I didn't know it was all a ruse so she could give my hand a little nip! "Kisses, not nips!" I would intone, and she would lick my finger, as if in apology...

And so it is, as I sit here this evening, trying not to think about how empty the apartment seems without her, I am reminded of Judith Viorst's wonderful picture book, The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, in which a young boy struggles to cope with the loss of his beloved cat by compiling a list of "good things" about him. As someone who has been involved with children's books for many years, I have had more than one ocassion to recommend this title, but had never, until today, understood its acute sensitivity to the rituals of grieving.

What could be more natural, at a time like this, than that we should want to recall all the ways in which our animal companion brought us happiness? And what could be more reassuring, especially for the young children at whom this book is aimed, than the fact that their instinctive reaction is one shared by many others? Highly, highly recommended....less

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Becky rated it:

03/06/08

bookshelves: children-and-ya

Read in February, 2004

recommends it for: MAYBE to parents who want to help their kids through a death

I finally read this book after years and years of hearing it hyped as the perfect book to help a child deal with the loss of a pet, so I expected a lot.

It's not a bad book. I've always liked Judith Viorst's wry voice that seems to capture children's unsure moments so perfectly, and ...Barney has a lot of that.

The particular details of the story are even good -- I love that the boy's mother wraps Barney in a piece of cloth before they bury him. I love that the boy's best friend att...more

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The Tenth Good Thing About Barney

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