Goodbye Hobbs

LoveReading4Kids Says

November 2022 Book of the Month

Merlin the dog is going for a walk. It’s a familiar route, past the shops, up the lane, across the fields and up the hill. He’s reluctant to go at first, because his best friend, black Labrador Hobbs, ‘the gentlest dog that ever was’, has gone. The empty dog basket tells us all we need to know.

But on his walk, Merlin is surprised and delighted to sniff out messages left for him by Hobbs in their favourite places. ‘I am OK’ they say, ‘It was time for me to go away’ and ‘If you need me/Just remember me here. I am with you, even though you can’t see me.’ It’s a sensitive and effective way to describe love and loss to young children, Merlin a wonderfully warm and comforting presence.

Emma Bettridge’s text is full of lyricism, Josephine Birch’s painterly illustrations fluid and expressive, and this is a special book to share.

Andrea Reece

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