Up in Heaven

by Emma Chichester Clark

Daisy is Arthur’s dog, and she’s devoted to him. But she’s very old, and lately she’s finding it hard to keep up with Arthur. One night, after she goes to sleep as usual, she wakes up in heaven. Heaven is a wonderful place, and Daisy loves it there. But she knows Arthur is sad and misses her. So Daisy finds a way to let Arthur know she’s happy—and that’s the first step toward making him happy again, too.

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Childrens, Death, Grief, Animals, Emotion

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 31, 2003

About the author

Education:
Chelsea School of Art, B.A. (with honors), 1978;
Royal College of Art, M.A. (with honors), 1983.

Additional information about her life can be found at:
http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1059...

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book about a week after I had to put my dog down. He was 13 and sick. I thought it would be hard to read a book like this even though it is a childrens book and it dealt with a child losing his dog. I loved it and it did make me feel better. I love the idea that dogs and other pets, when they die, go to heaven. I picture my dog being there with his sister and my other pets I had growing up and my mom, who is taking care of them all. This is a wonderful book for both children and adults.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

*bawling, and it's not pretty*

[Frances Coe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Balled my eyes out... not the book to read when you own an elderly dog! Makes me want to explore other children’s literature where pets aren’t picked off a “shelf”, and are rescued instead.

[rosie (donna tartt’s version)]

this book made me cry. it’s so beautiful to see how far children’s literature has come, to speak to small kids about some of the hardest of topics. books like these are what plant seeds.

[Sarah Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy is a dog with an owner called Arthur. Daisy the dog is getting old and can’t keep up with Arthur anymore. This is a book about a little boy who loses his pet (where he goes into heaven). When Daisy the dog goes to heaven she feels young again and is very happy. The book follows the bereaving period that Arthur goes through and shows the dog looking down to earth to try and help her owner feel better. In the end Arthur gets a new puppy that makes him happy. This is an ideal book that soothes the emotion of death. It manages to open up the difficult subject well and is a reassurance to the children that whoever they have lost is going to be ok. This is a good book to read to children when this type of situation occurs.

[kaotickitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet little book made for younger kids up to third graders. It is pushing it with the second and third graders though. The only reason you can push it up to those grades is the subject.

In this book young readers will meet Daisy, a sweet old dog who dies and goes to heaven. The little boy that was Daisy’s misses her. Daisy tries to help.

It will help children who are going through the loss of a pet. It will help all who want something cute or to help in those trying times.

[Eliot Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: this book is about pet loss and will make you cry. Daisy, a sweet, old dog goes to sleep and wakes up in Heaven where she watches over her family and sends them dreams to help put their hearts at ease. Beautifully illustrates the mutual love people and pets have for each other.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

這本也是帶小孩去圖書館時順手翻閱的童書! 同樣地, 也是在國內童書比較少看到的主題 (國外的童書一定要這本挑動敏感神經嗎?), 是描述小朋友面臨寵物死亡, 如何走出難過的故事!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great book for kids who have lost a dog or have a very old dog.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful - designed for children however the simplicity of the message is valuable to adults also.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

That awkward moment when you end up crying the children's section of the library.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book is designed to help children with the death of a pet, but very applicable concepts to helping children understand missing a person after their death as well. One exception to this point is "replacing" the pet that has passed away would obviously not cross over to the loss of a loved one. Found it an easy way to help children understand Heaven is a happy place; loved ones who have passed away can still look down and watch the ones they have left behind and they still love and care about us; and that it is okay to be sad and miss loved ones who have passed away and it is okay to be happy too.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with the children I nanny and they really liked it. As an upcoming elementary school teacher, I found that this book best helps children understand pet's death. It gives answers to their questions in the best way they will be able to comprehend at a young age and also gives them help with grieving. Children will be able to picture their dog happy again and move on to a new pet without experiencing as much heartache and grief. Great book to refer to parents and children!

[Desiree Kulewsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was very good in a different way. It explains doggy heaven and how his old owner was sad so she sent him dreams about her. It was kind of a sad book but i really liked it. I think kids would love it because they deal with pet loss so it would explain the idea of doggy heaven to them. It was a very cute book and even the pictures were great. My favorite oart was just the whole plot of the book. Especially that the dog sent her owner dreams.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute illustrations and sweet story from the dog's perspective when she wakes up to find that she is in heaven. She watches over her little boy owner from above and even though she is enjoying herself in dog heaven with all of the other dogs, she makes sure that her little boy is able to get over her death and move on.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arthur's dog Daisy dies and goes to heaven. Heaven is shown to be a wonderful place for dogs. Daisy wants Arthur to be happy again, so she shows him heaven through his dreams. When Arthur is still sad, Daisy shows him a puppy and how much fun they can be. This helps Arthur to heal and welcome a new puppy into the family.

[Stacia Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this were a regular story, I'd give it a 3-star rating. But since it is a story covering difficult subject matter, a death of a beloved pet, I have to give it a 4-star. It covers this topic exceptionally well, in my eyes.

Also, we have an aging pet and one day will have to call on this book for guidance. My girls and I had a nice discussion after reading this story.

[NS - Cami Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

k-3 realistic fiction. A boy's dog dies and continues to watch over him and his family from heaven in order to help them deal with it all. A great book if you need or want to introduce tough concepts with young students who have experienced death. Nicely done!

[Auttumn C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book almost made me cry. I also had a golden retriever who passed away and this story brought up those past memories but also made me smile through the tears. This book would be good for anyone who has lost a dog and needs a sweet book to help lift their spirits! :)

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture book to help a child deal with the death of a pet. Very soothing happy pictures of a dog in dog heaven, who can't be fully happy until her boy is happy again. So she sends him a series of dreams that help him cope and move on.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy, the dog, dies and wakes up in heaven. Daisy enjoys heaven, but when she looks back at the boy who cared for her, he is very sad and lonely. She sends the boy dreams, trying to help the boy cheer up.

[Hillingdon Libraries]

Find this book at Hillingdon Libraries

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little boy's elderly dog dies and he is left feeling sad and depressed. His dog, Daisy, figures out how to visit the little boy in his dreams and lets him know how wonderful heaven is and how it's okay to get a puppy to be his new pet.

[Bethan Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for a child that is having to deal with a bereavement of a dog. Highly recommended.

[Traci]

I think we will need a book like this in our household sooner rather than later.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

little boy's dog dies and he is sad but the dog sends him pictures of Heaven and his dog friends so the boy can be happy again.

[Dehlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dread the day we really need this book but it's a good one. Using it to talk about nieces' dog now.

[Marissa Elera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is far superior to Dog Heaven.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful option for helping children cope with the loss of a pet (dog).

[D Nine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death of a pet.