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Siens hemel
Er stonden zwarte wolken aan de hemel toen Sien vertrok.
De lucht rommelde.
De regen trommelde.
Maar wij hoorden alleen Siens laatste, allerlaatste adem.
Bij een afscheid lijkt de hemel soms oneindig zwart, maar voorbij dat zwart, hoe donker ook, komt toch weer kleur.
De lucht rommelde.
De regen trommelde.
Maar wij hoorden alleen Siens laatste, allerlaatste adem.
Bij een afscheid lijkt de hemel soms oneindig zwart, maar voorbij dat zwart, hoe donker ook, komt toch weer kleur.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2016
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 22, 2018
I would like to thank NetGalley and Eerdmans Books for Young Readers for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Now, I have read many children’s books that dealt with the subject of death of a pet or a loved one, but I had never read a children’s book quite as unique as Bibi Dumon Tak and Annemarie van Haeringen’s book “Scout’s Heaven,” which I got from NetGalley!
The story starts off with a family’s beloved dog Scout, dying and the family ends up burying him after his death. While the family mourned for the loss of their pet, Little Brother started asking questions about whether or not Scout is now in Heaven and is happy there. At first, the family was not sure how to answer Little Brother’s questions since they were all still grieving over Scout’s death, but then a strange and wonderous thing happens…
What wondrous thing happened to the family and will they be able to cope with Scout’s death?
Read this book to find out!
Wow! I must admit that I was quite impressed with how this book dealt with the subject of death in a children’s book and I think that it handled it pretty well! Both Bibi Dumon Tak and Annemarie van Haeringen did an excellent job at writing this book as this book is extremely emotional to read through as I sympathized with the family’s efforts to try to deal with the death of their pet. I also felt sympathy for Little Brother as he was constantly asking his family questions about Scout’s whereabouts after he died and I think that Little Brother’s reactions to Scout’s death is pretty realistic to how a young child would react to their pets or loved ones dying. They would be asking questions about the concept of death and would be wondering where their loved ones would go after their deaths.
The reason why I gave this book a four-star rating was because I felt that the story was a bit too short and I wished that they actually fleshed out the story a bit more so that way, we would be able to learn more about what Scout was like when he was still alive and what kind of activities the family did with him so that way, the news of Scout’s death would have had a more emotional impact on the readers. Also, apparently the copy I got from NetGalley did not have the artwork that was supposed to go with this story and even though I still liked the story, I would have liked it better if I had received a copy that had the artwork contained in it.
Overall, “Scout’s Heaven” is a lovely book about learning how to deal with the death of a pet and this is definitely a book that would be enjoyable to children both young and old! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the theme of death might upset some smaller children.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
Now, I have read many children’s books that dealt with the subject of death of a pet or a loved one, but I had never read a children’s book quite as unique as Bibi Dumon Tak and Annemarie van Haeringen’s book “Scout’s Heaven,” which I got from NetGalley!
The story starts off with a family’s beloved dog Scout, dying and the family ends up burying him after his death. While the family mourned for the loss of their pet, Little Brother started asking questions about whether or not Scout is now in Heaven and is happy there. At first, the family was not sure how to answer Little Brother’s questions since they were all still grieving over Scout’s death, but then a strange and wonderous thing happens…
What wondrous thing happened to the family and will they be able to cope with Scout’s death?
Read this book to find out!
Wow! I must admit that I was quite impressed with how this book dealt with the subject of death in a children’s book and I think that it handled it pretty well! Both Bibi Dumon Tak and Annemarie van Haeringen did an excellent job at writing this book as this book is extremely emotional to read through as I sympathized with the family’s efforts to try to deal with the death of their pet. I also felt sympathy for Little Brother as he was constantly asking his family questions about Scout’s whereabouts after he died and I think that Little Brother’s reactions to Scout’s death is pretty realistic to how a young child would react to their pets or loved ones dying. They would be asking questions about the concept of death and would be wondering where their loved ones would go after their deaths.
The reason why I gave this book a four-star rating was because I felt that the story was a bit too short and I wished that they actually fleshed out the story a bit more so that way, we would be able to learn more about what Scout was like when he was still alive and what kind of activities the family did with him so that way, the news of Scout’s death would have had a more emotional impact on the readers. Also, apparently the copy I got from NetGalley did not have the artwork that was supposed to go with this story and even though I still liked the story, I would have liked it better if I had received a copy that had the artwork contained in it.
Overall, “Scout’s Heaven” is a lovely book about learning how to deal with the death of a pet and this is definitely a book that would be enjoyable to children both young and old! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the theme of death might upset some smaller children.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
May 15, 2019
Weird. It read like something was lost in the translation. I received that shorty after my dog "Scout" passed. I was too emotional to read it then so I held onto it. I read it last night and was lost at how this would help with grief. Scout was a female, which threw it off right away for me, here is is a male's name. Then the weird burial. I really disliked this book and would never give it to a child to read for comfort. The illustrations, weird and dark.
April 4, 2018
I received this as an ARC on NetGalley.
I was looking for more out of a kid's book about the death of a family pet. Not much happening here, though. Just a sad burial of a pet followed by a sudden moment of seeming closure.
I was looking for more out of a kid's book about the death of a family pet. Not much happening here, though. Just a sad burial of a pet followed by a sudden moment of seeming closure.
February 9, 2018
ARC for review - expected publication date April 2018.
Oh, these books are so very hard for me to read, even as an adult, and yet they are so important, as losing a beloved pet is often the first real experience a child has with death. The gold standard, for me, has always been the wonderful DOG HEAVEN by Cynthia Rylant and I've often given it as a gift to families suffering from such a loss, but I also admire SCOUT'S HEAVEN very much - it has a European sensibility about it, in that we DON'T know what happens after death, and we aren't going to pretend, even to Little Brother, that we have all the answers. The very simple illustrations fit incredibly well with both the subject matter and the prose and I absolutely recommend this book, alongside DOG HEAVEN for two differing, but important perspectives on the loss of a beloved friend - and all that we hope comes after.
Oh, these books are so very hard for me to read, even as an adult, and yet they are so important, as losing a beloved pet is often the first real experience a child has with death. The gold standard, for me, has always been the wonderful DOG HEAVEN by Cynthia Rylant and I've often given it as a gift to families suffering from such a loss, but I also admire SCOUT'S HEAVEN very much - it has a European sensibility about it, in that we DON'T know what happens after death, and we aren't going to pretend, even to Little Brother, that we have all the answers. The very simple illustrations fit incredibly well with both the subject matter and the prose and I absolutely recommend this book, alongside DOG HEAVEN for two differing, but important perspectives on the loss of a beloved friend - and all that we hope comes after.
November 2, 2018
The death of a beloved dog has a family trying to understand grief - good book for children 10+ who have lost a pet and have questions.
May 19, 2018
Lovely in its simplicity.
(Full disclose: I received a free copy of this book for review through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.)
-- 3.5 stars --
It is raining the day Scout takes her last breath.
Little Brother peppers his family with questions: Where has Scout gone, if she's no longer here? Does it rain above the clouds? Who will feed Scout? Will she have a sea to splash in and other animals to chase? They answer his questions as best they know how and, after burying Scout, coax him to sleep.
The next day, they wake to an impossibly sunny sky. (When you're in the throes of grief, everything good and pure and beautiful seems a personal affront.)
...and the sound of Scout's barking, coming from way up high.
Scout's Heaven is a simple yet elegant book about loss and grief for dog lovers young and old. The whimsical illustrations nicely complement the story, which is more understated here than in similar books I've read. With books about "pet" loss, I measure stars in tears shed, and I didn't bawl nearly as hard as I normally do. But maybe this is a good thing, especially when trying to explain death to kids.
The vague references to Heaven definitely give the book a religious bent, but as an atheist I appreciated it just the same. The message could easily be tweaked to fit with my own favorite imagery, that of the souls of the ghosts in His Dark Materials breaking apart like so many champagne bubbles as they leave the land of the dead and join their daemons in the living world. Particles breaking apart and then coming back together to create new and wonderful creatures. Scout may be in the ground, but she's everywhere else, too: in the air and sky, the sycamore tree that shades your bedroom window and the squirrel that calls it home. Listen closely, and you can hear her voice.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2018/06/19/...
(Full disclose: I received a free copy of this book for review through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.)
-- 3.5 stars --
It is raining the day Scout takes her last breath.
Little Brother peppers his family with questions: Where has Scout gone, if she's no longer here? Does it rain above the clouds? Who will feed Scout? Will she have a sea to splash in and other animals to chase? They answer his questions as best they know how and, after burying Scout, coax him to sleep.
The next day, they wake to an impossibly sunny sky. (When you're in the throes of grief, everything good and pure and beautiful seems a personal affront.)
...and the sound of Scout's barking, coming from way up high.
Scout's Heaven is a simple yet elegant book about loss and grief for dog lovers young and old. The whimsical illustrations nicely complement the story, which is more understated here than in similar books I've read. With books about "pet" loss, I measure stars in tears shed, and I didn't bawl nearly as hard as I normally do. But maybe this is a good thing, especially when trying to explain death to kids.
The vague references to Heaven definitely give the book a religious bent, but as an atheist I appreciated it just the same. The message could easily be tweaked to fit with my own favorite imagery, that of the souls of the ghosts in His Dark Materials breaking apart like so many champagne bubbles as they leave the land of the dead and join their daemons in the living world. Particles breaking apart and then coming back together to create new and wonderful creatures. Scout may be in the ground, but she's everywhere else, too: in the air and sky, the sycamore tree that shades your bedroom window and the squirrel that calls it home. Listen closely, and you can hear her voice.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2018/06/19/...
March 2, 2018
Dealing with death is often a hard thing to discuss with a child. Their understanding and experience doesn't prepare them for it. Titles like these are useful by crafting a way to discuss the concept of death that is comforting or at least not scary to those left behind. There is a whimsical quality to the illustrations, both the heavenly background art (raining cats and dogs, animals to chase, pups playing in clouds) and the shadow dog that persists throughout the book displaying a range of activity from playful to growling to sleeping. Little Brother asks questions that are difficult to answer about what Scout could be experiencing. The family supports him in coming to terms with the idea that Scout is both here and there in Heaven, but they are honest in admitting that they just don't know what Scout's heavenly experience looks like. This is definitely a good title to add to the library collection to help grieving families. It would make a thoughtful gift for a family experiencing loss as well.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 29, 2017
Bijzonder boek over een moeilijk onderwerp. Sien de hond is dood en Klein Broertje heeft hier natuurlijk heel veel vragen over. De prachtige sfeervolle tekeningen maken het boek tot een kunstwerkje.
(14e boek Boekenbingo 2017)
(14e boek Boekenbingo 2017)
January 18, 2017
Een prachtig boekje over rouw en verdriet bij het overlijden van een huisdier. Het boek maakt grote zaken als dood, verdriet en rouw bespreekbaar voor jonge kinderen. (Boek 4 Boekenbingo 2017)
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September 16, 2025Bijzonder prentenboek over de dood van een huisdier.
Ik denk dat kinderen er veel troost uit kunnen halen. Er is wel een voorlezer nodig met een beetje kennis van interactief voorlezen/doorvragen/verder filosoferen. -> niet alles zit in de tekst verstopt namelijk. Heel veel zit ook in verwerkt in tekeningen van Annemarie van Haeringen.
Een boek dat zou kunnen leiden tot mooie gesprekken dus.
Ik denk dat kinderen er veel troost uit kunnen halen. Er is wel een voorlezer nodig met een beetje kennis van interactief voorlezen/doorvragen/verder filosoferen. -> niet alles zit in de tekst verstopt namelijk. Heel veel zit ook in verwerkt in tekeningen van Annemarie van Haeringen.
Een boek dat zou kunnen leiden tot mooie gesprekken dus.
April 29, 2018
How not to do a book to help a child understand and overcome a pet's death… This one features a dog called Scout, which bizarrely is a female. The artwork – pastel and pencil shapes within and around the body of the dead animal – makes Scout look like a cat at times, but the book falls down on the script side too – the ending didn't convince me the family, with its peculiar taste in children's names as well as in pets' ones, hadn't scuppered themselves with nonsense about heaven. And how can they describe sounds then declare in the next line they never heard them? The whole thing was a little too odd, for both my tastes and I'm sure for those of a much younger reader.
March 24, 2017
Wat een prachtig, klein boekje waarin beschreven wordt hoe kinderen omgaan met de dood van de hond Sien. Dit verschijnsel is voor jonge kinderen moeilijk te begrijpen en het roept veel vragen op. In het verhaal worden juist die vragen gesteld door kleine broertje. Prachtig verwoord, een mooi en geruststellend einde en fijne tekeningen die het verhaal aanvullen en niet teveel op de voorgrond staan. ( 37e boek voor boekenbingo 2017)
June 14, 2018
Such a tender book about the loss of the family pet.
So real. Yet, healing, too.
The illustrations are full of emotion, moving from nearly all black to slim outlines of black. Perfect for reflections of loss and sorrow to glimmers of healing and hope.
So real. Yet, healing, too.
The illustrations are full of emotion, moving from nearly all black to slim outlines of black. Perfect for reflections of loss and sorrow to glimmers of healing and hope.
December 30, 2025
Omdat ik de komende maand extra boeken van Bibi Dumon Tak wilde luisteren (de juniorcampagne Heel Nederland Leest komt eraan ), koos ik dit keer voor Siens hemel.
Een kort maar bijzonder verhaal — en eerlijk gezegd vind ik het lastig om precies te zeggen wat ik ervan vond. Misschien omdat het zo snel voorbij was, of omdat het onderwerp wat zwaarder is dan ik had verwacht. In slechts een paar minuten vertelt Bibi op haar eigen, rustige manier over afscheid nemen en de kracht van herinneringen.
Hoewel het verhaal klein is, heeft het wel iets troostends. Alsof het stilletjes wil zeggen dat na donker altijd weer licht komt.
Flaptekst:
Er stonden zwarte wolken aan de hemel toen Sien vertrok.
De lucht rommelde.
De regen trommelde.
Maar wij hoorden alleen Siens laatste, allerlaatste adem.
Bij een afscheid lijkt de hemel soms oneindig zwart, maar voorbij dat zwart, hoe donker ook, komt toch weer kleur.
Algemene beoordeling: 3 sterren
Een kort maar bijzonder verhaal — en eerlijk gezegd vind ik het lastig om precies te zeggen wat ik ervan vond. Misschien omdat het zo snel voorbij was, of omdat het onderwerp wat zwaarder is dan ik had verwacht. In slechts een paar minuten vertelt Bibi op haar eigen, rustige manier over afscheid nemen en de kracht van herinneringen.
Hoewel het verhaal klein is, heeft het wel iets troostends. Alsof het stilletjes wil zeggen dat na donker altijd weer licht komt.
Flaptekst:
Er stonden zwarte wolken aan de hemel toen Sien vertrok.
De lucht rommelde.
De regen trommelde.
Maar wij hoorden alleen Siens laatste, allerlaatste adem.
Bij een afscheid lijkt de hemel soms oneindig zwart, maar voorbij dat zwart, hoe donker ook, komt toch weer kleur.
Algemene beoordeling: 3 sterren
January 21, 2019
When a family's dog passes away the kids bury her in the backyard during a rain storm. The littlest of them - "little brother" - has all kinds of questions about where Scout is now (heaven?) and what she's doing there. Is someone going to feed her, does she have other animals to play with/chase? What do they do with her possessions that are left behind? Nobody really has any good answers for him, but readers will get a sense of what Scout was like when she was alive and well. When will they know the answers? Maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and little brother hears barking - maybe from heaven. And his siblings hear it, too. This is an honest depiction of death and grief and the kinds of questions kids (adults, too) are likely to have to have about it. Really sweet. May make you cry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2025
A wonderful read with beautiful supporting visuals. A great glimpse into a young family and a child's first experience of death and unexplainable feelings of grief. The visuals pair so well, gosh. This is lovely.
April 30, 2018
This book broke me into a thousand tiny little pieces within the first page.
May 30, 2018
Little Brother tries to make sense of the death of his dog.
July 20, 2018
Reminder to self to revisit this when my Scout dies. :(
December 29, 2018
“‘Because,’ said Little Brother.”
February 23, 2019
A family grieves the loss of their beloved dog in this poignant, comforting story. Originally published in The Netherlands.
April 15, 2019
I thought this book was beautifully written and illustrated, but my sensitive son found the subject of the loss of a pet too painful, and I finished it without him.
September 25, 2019
Why do we do the things we do when someone we love, our dog perhaps, dies? A poignant story of a family letting their dog go, and welcoming grief into their hearts.
April 26, 2017
Mooi boekje over de dood van een hond met herkenbare vragen die gesteld worden door het kleine broertje. Ik vind het materiaal van de bladzijden en de illustraties prettig.
#boekenbingo2017 48/60
#boekenbingo2017 48/60
March 11, 2018
I don't usually like books like this, however this was OK. Learning about animals, pets, loss and understanding is key to grow a compassionate adult.
Scout's heaven is a lovely, if wrenching, read. I was surprised that I enjoyed a book about something I mostly find tragic, it has comforting qualities.
Scout's heaven is a lovely, if wrenching, read. I was surprised that I enjoyed a book about something I mostly find tragic, it has comforting qualities.
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March 29, 2019After their good dog Scout dies, a family buries her with her favorite ball. But little brother has lots of question about where Scout has gone and what she's doing now. A good one for kids working through the death of a pet.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews