Say goodbye to MOG in this incredibly moving and stunningly illustrated story from Judith Kerr, creator of The Tiger Who Came to Tea and the MOG series. Mog was tired. She was dead tired… Mog thought, ‘I want to sleep for ever.’ And so she did. But a little bit of her stayed awake to see what would happen next.
Judith Kerr was a German-born British writer and illustrator who has created both enduring picture books such as the Mog series and The Tiger Who Came To Tea and acclaimed novels for older children such as the autobiographical When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit which give a child's-eye view of the Second World War.
Kerr was born in Berlin but left Germany with her parents and her brother, Michael, in 1933, soon after the Nazis first came to power. They were forced to leave as her father, noted drama critic, journalist and screenwriter Alfred Kerr, had openly criticised the Nazis,who burned his books shortly after the family had fled Germany. They travelled first to Switzerland and then on into France, before finally settling in Britain, where Kerr has lived ever since. She subsequently became a naturalised British citizen.
Having heard Judith Kerr talked about Mog and how she developed him as a character, I found this book quite touching. It handles the death of a loved pet in a sensitive manner, but also doesn't shy away from using words such as death and showing the burial.
It also looked at the introduction of a new pet and how that makes the family feel in relation to the pet they lost.
Death is a very sensitive issue, and is much harder to address with a young child who has had such experience. Often adults find it a slightly uncomfortable subject. This book provides a good solution, to what could be an awkward topic to approach. It is about a cat called Mog, who dies very suddenly, Mog is part of the family-and his owners become heartbroken. The family grieve, and the children reminisces about all the things that Mog used to do. One day, mum buys another family cat (a young kitten), but he runs away, is frightened of noise, newspapers and practically everything else. The children begin to really miss Mog. Mog’s spirit decides to teach the little kitten how to be playful. Mog’s spirit was always there though, through every one of the children’s thoughts….”remember how she used to hang her tail in front of the telly?” the children would say. But Mog was still there wagging her tail in front of the telly; it’s just that the children couldn’t see it.
Soon the kitten learns how to be part of the family, and she settles in very well. The family finally have a family pet to be proud of. The family enjoy playing with the kitten, and feeding him, but as Debbie (one of the children) said; “I’ll always remember Mog.”
This book is a really good resource to use during R.E lessons to explore the subject of death. Death is not a subject to hide away from or ignore, children want to be heard. Children who may have had these experiences may after hearing this story feel slightly reassured in the fact that it’s alright to move forward. It creates a sense of understanding of the world, its life cycle-that life goes on and with that we can create new memories, not necessarily replacing the old ones or forgetting them. At the end of the book, Mog looks down on the new family and smile; of course she doesn’t want anyone to be sad. A child may feel some sort of relief by that-that their dog, cat, pet or family member is also looking down on them and welcome them to move forward in their life. Overall, this book deals with grief with in a very clever and sensitive way
The final instalment in a beautiful collection of children's picture books, Mog the cat has been a young boys best friend as he learnt to dress, play, grow up and finally to say goodbye.
Mog is tired and wants to sleep, and so she did, through classically drawn pictures that many recognise, Mog's life and journey is brought to an end. Mog dies and a little part of her stays behind to see how her family get on without her, they are sad for a while and talk about her often, remembering the things she used to do and then one day a new kitten is brought home. The kitten is not like Mog at all, scared of everything and not a very good pet, Mog is eventually able to help the kitten who ends up being a perfect pet and Mog flies away into the sun.
What this book does is to teach children about death in a way that does not scare or intimidate. Though some may argue that children should not learn about death at such a young age, what this book opens children up to is that when a pet dies, although sad, it will be ok. Mog cannot live forever and while alive has lived a long and happy life where he was loved and cared for. If in the book Mog were to suddenly 'go and live on a farm' this would be an insult to the series as well as the children who read it. It teaches children that pets do die, for a while it will be sad but after a while the sadness will get better and perhaps they can get a new pet.
The children say that they 'will always remember Mog,' and this is also important for children to know that their pet will never be replaced but they can love and care for a new animal and still love the one that died.
Every time my son saw Santa this year, he asked for a Mog Cat. I may not be the quickest person in the world, but I knew what he was getting for Christmas. Since he was getting the cat, I wanted him to have some of the books, too.
Our little hamster, Fred, started showing signs of slowing down shortly after Thanksgiving. By this time he was around three years old, which is remarkably old for a hamster. I wanted to prepare my son for the inevitable, so I made sure that Goodbye Mog was among the Mog books.
The inevitable happen late on New Year's Eve. By this time, my son had already read Goodbye Mog a few times. As we were digging the hole to bury Fred, my son told me Fred was tired and he wanted to go to sleep forever. So he did. And that Fred's body was dead on Earth but his spirit alive in heaven. There were a few tears -- OK, mostly from me -- but my son accepted that Fred had had a good long life and now he was at peace. So, thank you, Goodbye Mog, for bringing my little boy some comfort.
Mog, that sometimes befuddled (but always loving) feline whose adventures began in Mog the Forgetful Cat, and then continued in many other picture-books, dies peacefully in her sleep in this final story, although "a little bit of her stayed awake to see what would happen next." As the Thomas family mourn her loss, Mog hovers - as a ghost? an angel? it isn't clear - in the background, observing them. When they eventually bring a frightened new kitten home, one who doesn't seem to want to play, and who hides from everything and everyone, she concludes that it is the "wrong kind of kitten." But is he? Or does he just need some help from a hovering cat spirit...?
Having adored the sweetly plump Mog in her other adventures, I expected to find Goodbye Mog simply heartbreaking - other stories of cat death, from The Tenth Good Thing About Barney to The Day Tiger Rose Said Goodbye, have left me in tears - but although there is a distinctly melancholy feel to some of the book, overall it had a more hopeful sensibility. No doubt this is owing to the matter-of-fact description of Mog's death, which occurs at the very beginning of the book, and to the fact that her spirit lingers, and the narrative attention turns to the issue of the new kitten. I liked Judith Kerr's approach to this sensitive issue, and think this story will be helpful for young children who have experienced an animal friend's death, or who are perhaps feeling uneasy about getting a new pet. There is something so reassuring about this story, as Mog lovingly helps the new kitten to adjust to life with the Thomases.
Goodbye, Mog is an unusual story dealing with the death of an old pet and the re-adjustment to life with a new one. Mog dies on the first page of the book, but her spirit still keeps watch over her mourning family, suggesting that loved ones who die continue to be with us.
When the family gets a new kitten, they are bewildered by the kitten's frightened and anti-social behavior. Even though the new kitten is difficult, the family decides to give it time, while the spirit of Mog works a little magic of her own to help the kitten feel secure. The story ends with Mog's spirit flying into the sun while the family enjoys their playful new kitten.
One thing that annoyed me about this book was the repeated reference to the kitten as "it," even by family members who must surely know the gender of their own pet.
I borrowed the book from the school library when I was in Year 1, so 5 or 6 years old. I absolutely loved Mog and would lol forward to getting another one of her books each week.
Of course when I borrowed ‘Goodbye Mog’ 5 year old me thought nothing of the title and took it home to read.
Cue Saturday morning when I finish it, with the beloved Mog flying directly into the sun and me bursting into tears. I was inconsolable. I couldn’t understand what happened or why. It was and still is the most devastating thing I’ve read. I still refuse to read the book. I recently heard the audiobook playing and burst into tears.
Kerr intended the book to be a gentle approach to a difficult topic such as death. She did not succeed in her goal. The book is heavy-handed and difficult for the intended audience to understand. Perhaps for slightly older readers who already have a slight understanding of death it would work better. If wanting to introduce young children to the topic of death I suggest looking for a different book.
One that does not involve a character that fit the past 15 books they have grown to love.
The little board book "Mog and Me" was my daughter's first favorite book, one that I had to read to her over and over. Although we never ended up reading any of the other Mog books when she was little, I did end up picking up some remaindered copies of "Goodbye Mog" to carry in the bookstore I ran at the time, shelving them in the "grief" section rather than the "kids" section to keep from inadvertently traumatizing someone. When I saw my daughter pick this up to check out, now in her 20s, I still had the urge to scream, "Noooooo!" to protect her from the sadness of it.
It is, however, an extremely well-done, sensitive book about the death of a well-loved pet. I wouldn't recommend it unless there was a recent or forseeable loss of a pet, but in those circumstances, I would recommend it highly.
For dealing with grief and death with children , that was a clever one ! it is a pet here but it also can be in general , they gave it to my daughter at school and she liked it , it was not depressing !
Shouldn't there be a rule that little kids books don't kill off the main character? This was heartbreakingly beautiful, and it took a lot to make sure I didn't cry. Mog was such an important part of my childhood, and I think this was an amazing ending to an amazing collection of books
This is meant to address the loss of a pet in a gentle way, and depending on what message you want your kids to have about death and what happens after, this could be a good choice. It is not one that I would choose. The cat dies, and that part is handled quite well and realistically, but I HATE books that use the word "sleep" in reference to death for kids, and this one does that. Mog wants to "sleep forever", and so she does. Except it's not sleep. She's dead. It's okay to say that. It's better than kids having to relate sleep and death.
But that being said, if that was the only thing I had issues with, it might still be okay. But the cat comes back as a happy little ghost cat, watching life go by for the family she left behind. Nah, I'm not cool with telling kids their dead pets are still around in spirit, unless you mean in the sense that they are always with us when we remember them. BUT THIS IS AN ACTUAL GHOST CAT.
Still, might be okay if it was explained as fiction. BUT THEN THE GHOST CAT FIXES THE NEW CAT THAT THEY GOT AS A PET. Tiny new kitten, afraid of everything. Ghost Mog is even a little jealous, although some time has passed before they take in the new kitten. New kitten can see Ghost Mog, and helps the new kitten to adapt to being a house cat. And then Ghost Mog moves on, you know, flying out the door into the sky. WHY DOES THIS HAVE SO MANY FIVE STAR RATINGS? I really, truly don't get it. This is like everything you shouldn't teach kids about death.
I gave it two stars because the illustrations were kind of cute and the author is honest about burial and and that life goes on after someone you love dies.
So obviously I don't usually read children's books but I work in a vet practice and we were asked to read this as part of a course I'm doing, one of the modules of which is on bereavement, especially involving children. This is a beautiful children's book on normalising the death of a pet, but also showing how they never really leave us. I only found out after finishing that this the final book in a series of books on the cat called Mog, which I think is brave to end a children's series on the main characters death, and does a good job in its message.
After reading many Mog stories as a youngster, it was inevitable this one would pop up in the collection, although I was still surprised when my Mum bought it!! Great for children to understand death in a gentle way (and for grown ups to say goodbye a cat they'd grown up with!).
This was so sad, but I loved it. And I loved reading more about Judith Kerr's reasoning behind why Mog had to die. I don't want you to be sad forever, but please don't forget me when I'm gone.
This book almost made me cry. Such a beautiful story that explains death of pets to children perfectly. The images throughout the book are illustrated in a way that makes you feel many different emotions. When Mog dies, the family are surrounded by harsh lines and swirls. There is some cross hatching at the start that brings a sense of nervous energy and then jagged or odd angle lines that highlight troubled emotions. You can almost feel the family's sadness of the loss of their cat, Mog.
I particularly like how Mog (although passed away) still appears on every page in a small, glowing pastel light, though it is heartbreaking when she realises no one can see her until the kitten does!
I think this book is a perfect way to explain death of a pet to a child as it shows the burial of Mog and the sadness that comes with it, but also the happiness of a new family pet.
Listened to a story time of this before the Succession finale — Logan read a snippet of this to his grandson in Season Three. Often, we don’t give children the opportunity to understand death, and what happens after. Instead, we shield them from it. I appreciate Kerr writing about something so heartbreaking but making it feel like an embrace.
Leaving an excerpt of what Kerr told The Guardian about Goodbye Mog in 2002:
“I don’t think it was so much about killing off Mog, as rather doing something about dying,” said Kerr. “I’m coming up to 80, and you begin to think about those who are going to be left – the children, the grandchildren. I just wanted to say: Remember. Remember me. But do get on with your lives.”
Chris's review is excellent and I agree, this book really relates to young children who have lost a pet. Beautiful book, my daughter loved this as a regular bedtime story when she was little and our pet cat died. She already knew Mog from previous books as we found the series very engaging and they all were favourites (even the nightmare one which is a bit scary!) "Goodbye Mog" is a sweet book for dealing with grief. It's worth mentioning (is this a spoiler?!) Mog's owners do get a kitten and it might give your child certain ideas...
I think Judith Kerr handles loosing a pet so well throughout this book. I love the way the illustrations portray Mog as a ghost and would love to know what the children think Mog's thoughts are in given moments. I really like how Judith Kerr doesn't avoid language around death such as 'dead' and 'wept' but yet still looks at the humours side. It is a beautiful remind that although we may loose people, they will always be around.
I remember my best friend, a wee dog, passing away and the struggles to deal with my sister's new puppy. Beautifully captured here in a book that's completely non-scarring despite the sound and the premise but rather au fait with death in a congenial manner. Goodbye Mog, hello Rumpus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This particular book holds deep memories of a beloved one. His interest in reading starts from Mog's series and it became our treasured book. This book reminds me of him, not just a cat. It never fail to make me cry and bring me comfort.
I first used this book in a classroom as a way of starting a discussion about death, loss and grief which was relevant due to a situation that had occurred. This book was a lovely way to introduce this difficult topic and prompted extremely mature and meaningful discussions within the Year 1 classroom (children aged 5/6). It also really helped some children to express and deal with some strong emotions in a positive way. The children had read many "Mog" stories and were therefore quite attached to the character which was useful in exploring loss. This book also touches upon themes of friendship and helping others while overcoming jealousy. The illustrations are beautiful and bring the story to life. Kerr's simple but emotive story telling is accessible to very young children whilst also conveying the story perfectly. When using this story in a classroom, I would recommend setting aside a good amount of time for discussion as this story evokes a lot of feelings which children need to have a safe space to discuss. This book is suitable from EYFS through KS1 and I believe would even be useful in KS2 as a sensitive, safe and gentle approach to a difficult topic.
First I've heard of "the nation's favourite cat" -- and as luck would have it, this is the book in which Mog the cat dies.
If Mog is your sentimental favourite, this tale could be endearing. The plot is well crafted. On that basis I'll give it FIVE STARS.
However, I know something that might be of interest to some of you potential readers, or previous readers, of this book.
Yes, I'm referring to knowledge about what happens after people die. Knowledge acquired from sessions I have facilitated of Soul Energy Awakening Hypnosis®, a form of past-life regression I used to do until the Pandemic. To be clear, I am not a psychic. Psychics are not the only people who can receive first-hand information about what happens between death and "rest in peace."
In case this is worth considering, or even helpful, to the best of my knowledge...
CATS AND OTHER PETS DO NOT BECOME GHOSTS
Souls in a human embodiment sometimes become ghosts, but not cats. Just saying.
Typical of me to read the first book int he series, skip around then straight to the last book. The spoiler queen in me needs to know every ending.
This book is the ending of the series, and it addresses death. For some it may be a gentle way to let children understand what death is and how life moves on after. For others it may be a paranormal story about ghost cat and haunts (and fix?) a new cat. I thought the story was bittersweet.
It kinda confirmed to me that cats do see spirits (but no, thank you, I don't actually want to know what the cats are staring at irl)
I've loved the books of Judith Kerr both as a child and as a teacher: beautiful, humorous illustrations and characters. Mog the cat is a great example: trying to make sense of her world and her family, often making mistakes but always resolving them. I loved Mog, and until a couple of years ago I had no idea that there was a final Mog book. It's a real tearjerker, I admit, especially reading it as a grown-up cat lover, but it is a wonderful way of making sense of loss, and it's unexpectedly gorgeous to see the ethereal Mog watching over her family as they get to know their new kitten. A lovely, sad, uplifting story to talk about the death of a much-loved pet.
I found this book quite touching. It handles the death of a loved pet in a sensitive manner, but also doesn't shy away from using words such as death and showing the burial. Death is a very sensitive issue, and is much harder to address with a young children who had such experience. This book is a really good resource to use during R.E lessons to explore the subject of death. Death is not a subject to hide away from or ignore.
Lovely book as I was thinking of my cat as I read it (my cat is sound and kicking though). I don’t know much about this series but had put this book on my to-read list, probably from reading a recommendation somewhere. I wonder if this series ends here, or if it branches out to one about the orange kitten? Thank you for the inter library loan system so I could access this book.
I’ve always loved the stories of Mog and her adventures. This book marks the end of them. After she dies, she quickly realizes the family can’t see her anymore, though she is with them. When they bring home a new kitten, she is delighted to know that it can see her! They play together and Mog lives on…in another way.