Saying Goodbye to Barkley by Devon Sillett illustrated by Nicky Johnston

Olivia has a wonderful imagination. Alongside her dog Barkley she performs good deeds, sniffs out clues and she always catches the bad guys. Nicky Johnston perfectly interprets this - the bad guy is Olivia's little brother and he has taken a freshly baked muffin. But one day Barkley does not want to join in. He is getting old and eventually he sadly dies. 

"And then, just like that, Barkley was gone."

Olivia just cannot function without her sidekick. But then she has an idea:

"Barkley wouldn't want her to stop doing good deeds and catching bad guys, no matter what ...  Barkley loved rescuing people. Why not rescue animals too?"

So that's exactly what they do. Olivia and her mum head to the dog rescue centre.  This might make you think of Let's get a Pup by Bob Graham.

Olivia does rescue a dog but he is so very different from Barkley. Of course that's okay. Barkley was a truly special friend and now little Spud can be a different but very special friend too.

I feel a little sad that the library I visit each week have placed this gentle book (yes it is about grief) in their parent reference collection. This is a book you could easily share with a young child - not straight after the loss of a precious pet like Barkley but a long time before that happens. This book is listed for our NSW Premier's Reading Challenge K-2.

I would pair this book with other books about the loss of a loved dog:

Nicky Johnston adds perfect illustrations to Saying Goodbye to Barkley.

Johnston’s poignant illustrations and use of colour complement Sillett’s delicate text and capture the strong emotions that accompany loss, grief and healing. Beautifully designed and presented, its stunning cover reflects the unconditional love shared by Olivia and Barkley. Gorgeous end pages reinforce the place the dog had in the child’s life. Kids' Book Review

Here are some of Nicky Johnston's other books:

You might also look for her newest book Jorn's Magnificent Imagination. (I can't share it here just yet). 

Now that I have read Saying Goodbye to Barkley I am keen to discover these two books which are also about the loss of a precious dog: