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Harry & Hopper (2009)

by Margaret Wild(Favorite Author)

3.81 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Middle Grade & Children's

publisher

Omnibus Books for Scholastic Australia

review 1: This Kate Greenaway 2010 award winner is a sweet picture book about a boy coping with the death of his best friend - his dog. Harry and his dog, Hopper, are always together until he comes home from school to find that his dog has died. He goes through a few days of denial and dreams that Hopper is still alive. Slowly, he begins to let go of Hopper and ultimately accepts his passing. As one would imagine, this would be an excellent book to use with young children dealing with the death of a loved one. What I like most about it, though, is that it doesn't spend the majority of the book making the reader fall in love with the boy and his dog just to make you cry when the dog dies. It's clear that Harry and Hopper are close, but the author doesn't dwell on that part of the sto... morery. The focus is on how Harry copes with losing Hopper. That aspect of the book is what makes this a five-star book for me.This book would be excellent to use with primary students, and possibly upper elementary student, depending on the child.
review 2: This book deals with the issue of death. Here, Harry has lost his dog, Hopper. The story takes a more blunt approach, "Hopper is dead." For a little while, Harry is in denial. He continues watching t.v., goes to school, and doesn't tell his friends. But he refuses to sleep in his bed where memories of Hopper lay. In the middle of the night, Harry appears in his dream, but it all seems so real for Harry. In the end, Harry ends up saying good bye to Hopper on his own terms.The ending was nice in that Harry was able to say goodbye when he was ready to. But somehow, I was uncormfortable with the fact that the story and illustrations made the dreams all too real. This may give readers false hope of seeing their loved ones every time they go to sleep. Nevertheless, HARRY & HOPPER is a touching story of love and loss. The illustrations are literally sketchy with dark undertones, but somehow works at setting the mood. Not a book I'd give to just anyone. It is sad and depressing, yet hopeful. What else can you expect from a book about death. less

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