Product Description

Mending Peter's Heart is a book designed to help a child come to terms with the emotional issues raised by loss. In this case, it is through the loss of a beloved pet, Mishka, that Peter has to face the realities of death and dying. A sensitive neighbor comes to Peter's aid and places the loss of Mishka into a larger understanding and compassionate framework.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #945204 in Books
• Published on: 1995-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 31 pages

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 6?This splendid story will bring a lump to the throat of anyone who has lost a much-loved animal or person. Peter's Husky, Mishka, has died and, as he rages in his grief, his neighbor suggests they sit on his front porch and rock a bit. "Medicine for the soul is what a rocking chair is," Mr. MacIntyre says. As Peter reminisces about his best friend, the elderly man parallels with memories of his best friend, his deceased wife. With Mr. Mac's guidance, Peter closes his eyes and feels "the magic and the joy and the wonder of seeing what he had loved and lost returned to him." The man assures him that Mishka and Mrs. MacIntyre are friends who are going to take good care of one another "...somewhere where there isn't any pain." Realistic paintings capture the raw pain of the boy as well as the mature grief of the patient adult, just as the text encapsulates the cadences of each voice without patronizing or being maudlin. Mr. Mac's wise words comfort and soothe Peter and will help anyone who has grieved. A compassionate, sensitive addition.?Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NE
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher
Mending Peter's Heart continues Portunus' commitment to publishing children's literature that will help develop self-regulating adults who are emotionally whole and capable of facing life's myriad challenges.

About the Author
A second grade teacher and mother of four, Maureen Wittbold lives with her family in Andover, Massachusetts. Maureen writes from personal experience, and Mending Peter's Heart flowed from a need to offer comfort to friends and family, to help them deal with tragedy and come to terms with it.

Customer Reviews

Difficult Subject Handled Beautifully
The subject of death is a difficult one to explain to childrenand send a positive, yet real message. Death happens, and"sometimes there isn't a single reaons in the world for something to happen." It is okay to grieve and talking about it can sometimes be the best way to work through a loss. The writer clearly portrays a boy struggling to understand the loss of his dog, and meeting up with his neighbor-- an older man who's wife died previously. The older man understands the boy's frustration and grief, and empathizes with the boy's feelings word for word. As the boy describes his life with the dog, the man remembers his life with his "best friend" (his wife.)

The book does not specifically address where people go after they die, except to clearly state that they are in a better place, happy, able to run and see, etc. (I would hope that people from any religion would be able to interpret this to be whatever they wanted.) And, the man teaches the boy how to be with his dog whenever he wants, by just closing his eyes and imagining... Really beautiful!

This subject matter is difficult, but I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has suffered a loss. I think this will help children understand their feelings and know they are not alone in losing someone. Very well done!