Lovely Old Roly

by Michael Rosen, Priscilla Lamont (Illustrator)

Old Roly the cat is tired - he sleeps all day. Mum and Dad and the kids all know he can't live much longer, but what will happen when he dies? The children grieve when Roly passes, but then a new cat appears and gradually finds her place in the household. The new cat, Sausage, seems to be everywhere, but Roly is still there in the children's hearts, and they know he will always be with them. The death of a pet can be especially difficult for children. Michael Rosen helps ease this process with this moving story featuring Priscilla Lamont's thoughtful illustrations.

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

About the author

Michael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Claire Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely Old Roly tells the story of Roly an old cat who sleeps a lot and sadly dies. The children find it really hard to deal with Roly's death and can't play. Slowly they start to feel more like playing and think that they may like to get another cat. Coincidentally, a stray cat sneaks into their house and decides to stay! The children don't forget Roly as they have good memories of him.

This book is available for children to read in my Nursery classroom. The teacher told me she brought it in as one child was talking about a pet who had died. It was not read to the whole class, but was available to help answer any questions they may have. I think it addresses a big issue in a very sensitive way.

[Raquel Pilar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roly is the family's old cat and they know he won't be there anymore soon. And once it happens, the children really miss him and end up attracting a new cat for the family.
I liked the idea of the book, but I felt something was missing (the ending is sweet, though).

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A kind book about losing a beloved pet.