The Tenth Good Thing about Barney

This simple children’s book shares the story of the death of a beloved pet and the subsequent processing of the loss. It has a gentle and clear approach, without any suggestion of an afterlife but rather an appreciation for all the wonderful things about the pet who is gone. 

If you are interested in continuing bonds with a child after a loss, this is a nice way to approach and expand on the topic. 

Sometimes, as if by magic, a book arrives at exactly the right moment.

When my 7-year-old grandson’s cat was killed by a bobcat earlier this year it was his first experience with loss, and we all struggled to find language to help him. I remembered hearing about Judith Viorst’s book many years ago but had never read it. The Tenth Good Thing about Barney was published in 1971 and is still in print fifty-two years later – for good reason.

After his beloved cat dies, the unnamed boy in the story struggles to think of ten good things to say… show more.

There are a lot of picture books about the afterlife of pets (such as the classics Dog Heaven and Cat Heaven by Cynthia Rylant, which I love) but I adore this book because it grapples with the uncertainty many people feel after a death: is Barney the cat in heaven?

The dad in this book isn’t entirely sure, and makes sure his kid knows that, but something the dad does know for sure is that Barney was a great cat during his time on earth and that there are at least ten good things about Barney to remember. I also… show more.