Devon Sillett | Children's Books Heal

Saying Goodbye to Barkley

Devon Sillett, Author

Nicky Johnston, Ilustrator

EK Books, Fiction, 2020/Translated into Spanish 2021

Suitable for ages: 4-8

Themes: Pet, Death, Feelings, Grief, Sharing memories, Rescue animals

Opening: Super Olivia and her amazing sidekick Barkley did everything together. Good deeds. Sniffing out clues. Catching the bad guys!

Publisher’s Synopsis:

Olivia and her dog Barkley are inseparable. He’s her first sidekick, her partner in crime-fighting. When Barkley dies Olivia is heartbroken. Olivia realizes however that Barkley would want her to share her love with a new pet. She hatches a plan to adopt a dog in need of a home. So Spud — who is very different from Barkley — joins the family. Olivia learns that loves comes in all shapes, sizes and personalities. Spud may be a hopeless sidekick, but the niche she carves in Olivia’s heart will be entirely and uniquely her own.

Why I like Saying Goodbye to Barkley:

Devon Sillett’s Saying Goodbye to Barkley is a sensitive, uplifting and heartwarming first book about death. Both children and adults will relate to the love and unbreakable bond between Barkley and his owner, Olivia. Sillett’s storytelling is compelling and her pacing keeps readers fully engaged.

Losing a pet to death may be a child’s first experience with loss and grief. Saying Goodbye to Barkley acknowledges Olivia’s feelings of sadness when she loses her best crime-fighting partner. She’s too sad to eat and sleep. She dreads waking up because her best friend isn’t snuggling by her side.

Olivia takes her time to work through her grief and share her feelings of loss. She holds tight to her memories and realizes that Barkley wouldn’t want her to stop doing good deeds. That’s when she comes up with a plan to adopt a from the rescue shelter — not her mother’s idea — but Olivia’s. A signal to readers that Olivia is healing and ready to move on. After all, Barkley loved rescuing people. Now it’s Olivia’s turn to rescue a dog.

Nicky Johnston’s colorful, large illustrations compliment the story showing Olivia’s journey through sadness to joy. Make sure you check out the end papers for a sweet surprise.

Resources/Activities: This is an opportunity for the children and family to share their feelings of loss and their joyful memories of their beloved pet. Encourage kids share their favorite memories of their pet, collect pictures of their pet and make a collage, draw pictures, and make a memory box.

Devon Sillett is a former radio producer, turned writer and reviewer. She is the author of The Scaredy Book, The Leaky Book and Tabitha and the Raincloud. Born in the US, Devon now lives in Australia. She loves books so much so that she got married in a library! Currently she teaches in the writing department at the University of Canberra, where she is also a PhD student, researching children’s picture books. If she isn’t writing or reading, you’ll find her playing with Legos or hide-an-seek with her two sons.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Review copy provided by EK Books in exchange for a review.

Scaredy Book

Devon Sillett, Author

Cara King, Illustrator

EK Books, Fiction, May 8, 2018

Suitable for Ages: 4-8

Themes: Shyness, Anxiety, New experiences, Comfort zones, Library, Friendship, Bravery

Opening: “Book was full of potential. But sometimes, a pinch of pizzazz, a sprinkling of gumption and a drop of courage come in handy. Book wished to have all those things. But Library was very, very comfortable.”

Synopsis:

Book longs for adventure but is too scared to leave the library. The library is warm, peaceful and safe. Book desperately wants to go outside and feel the sunlight on his pages, but is intimidated by what might happen “out there.” A page might be torn. Book’s cover might get dirty. Book might never be returned to the library! Book watches from his nook what happens to other returning books. He comes close a few times to letting go.

Meanwhile, Emma loves visiting the library, going on great adventures and exploring the world in the stories she reads. When Emma meets Book, they find they are just what each other needs. Together, Book and Emma move out of their comfort zone to try new things, meet new people and enjoy quiet adventures — climbing trees, laughing in the rain, and cheering the players at a soccer match. Along the way they discover that “out there” needn’t be scary if you just take it one step at a time.

Why I like this book:

Devon Sillett skillfully captures the vulnerability of his main character, Book, who is frightened of just about everything. He is bound to win over readers with his originality and clever wit. Who every heard of a scared book? Children will be captivated by Book’s pursuit to be brave, especially those who are nervous about taking risks and stepping outside of their comfort zone.

When Emma returns Book to the library, it isn’t in the same condition that it left. There are a few crumbs in the pages, a smudge on a page, and a splash of water in the ink. In fact Book is proud of its new battle scars, a mark of its bravery.

What a sensational cover! Cara King combines delicately textured and warmly hued watercolors to show Book’s strong desire to try new things and its struggle to take the first step. Make sure you check out the endpapers, as they carry a story of their own.

Resources: This is a great discussion book to have on hand when your child is trying something new, like going to school, attending a sleepover, trying new foods, and learning to ride a bike without training wheels. And it is a good book to remind parents that they have to let go and let their child try.

Devon Sillett is the author of The Leaky Story, her debut picture book, Saying Goodbye to Barkley. She is a former radio producer, turned writer and reviewer. Born in the US, Devon now calls Australia home. She has loved books as long as she can remember — so much so that she even married her husband Matthew in a library! Currently, she teaches in the writing department at the University of Canberra, where she is also a PhD student, researching Australian children’s picture books. If she isn’t writing or reading, you’ll find her playing Lego or hide-and-seek with her two young sons, Jay and Aaron.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Review copy provided by the publisher.