Fiction - Animals - General & Miscellaneous, Fiction - Social Issues, Fiction - Animals - Mammals, Fiction - Health & Medicine, Fiction - Emotions & Behaviors, Fiction - General & Miscellaneous
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Overview
Miss Wilkinson lives with her adored cat, Tommy Douglas, whose eyes glow a brilliant orange. But Tommy Douglas is 17 years old. When he becomes ill and dies in Miss Wilkinson’s arms, she buries him in the garden and plants a rosebush on his grave. Despite her determination to keep busy, grief and loneliness make it difficult for Miss Wilkinson to enjoy life. Then one morning, after a particularly troubled night, she discovers that the rosebush she planted has bloomed with brilliant orange flowers — the color of Tommy Douglas’s eyes.When her beloved cat, Tommy Douglas, dies after many years of companionship, Miss Wilkinson is inconsolable until his spirit returns to give her comfort.
Editorials
Children's Literature
Miss Wilkinson is a busy retiree. Her days are filled with music and arts clubs, but the highlight of Miss Wilkinson's day is curling up with her cat, Tommy Douglas. When the seventeen-year-old black cat grows ill and dies, Miss Wilkinson throws herself into her activities with a new fervor, but nothing can fill the void left by Tommy Douglas. Then, one night, in the depths of her grief, Miss Wilkinson is visited by a ghostly feline who comforts her and leaves her with a beautiful reminder of Tommy Douglas's fiery orange eyes and with the will to carry on with her life. The story is an effective dramatization of the stages of grief, although children might have a hard time relating to the senior citizen protagonist. Odd details, such as Miss Wilkinson's activism in a social justice committee and her consumption of organic porridge, also seem aimed more at adults than at children. Young readers may enjoy spotting the silhouettes of the ghost cat in many of Reczuch's watercolor illustrations, but adults who have lost pets may be the best audience for this fable about grief and recovery. 2001, Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre, $16.95. Ages 3 to 5. Reviewer: Norah PiehlSchool Library Journal
K-Gr 5-Tommy Douglas, Miss Wilkinson's black feline, is the ultimate companion in her golden years. In fact, he is the emotional finishing touch to this elderly woman's busy day, until he becomes ill and eventually dies. This heartwarming and touching story is a wonderful bibliotherapeutic tool to guide children facing the death of a pet or a loved one. The carefully rendered watercolor illustrations realistically portray the emotions engendered by Miss Wilkinson's loss.-Karen J. Tannenbaum, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library, IN Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.Book Details
Published
September 1, 2001
Publisher
Groundwood Books
Pages
32
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780888994332