—Claire, age nine, owner of Arnie the rat
How do you feel now?
“Now when it comes up, I kind of feel sad but for only a second or two, and then I just go back to what I was doing.”
—Henry H., age eleven, owner of Arnie the rat
“I really loved Mr. Black and Mr. White, but I had to say good-bye. Their spirit will always be in my heart, forever.”
—Stella, age eight, owner of Mr. Black and Mr. White, two fish
What to Do When Your Pet Dies
No one likes feeling upset. We all wish sometimes that we could hit fast-forward on the sad feelings and get straight to the part where we’re laughing again. We can’t, of course. Feeling bad when a pet dies is as natural as feeling great when you first bring the pet home.
Even though there’s no magic cure for your sadness, there are plenty of things you can do that’ll make you feel a whole lot better.
1. When you’re ready, talk about how you feel.
You may not want to talk about your pet’s death right away, and that’s totally fine. When you’re ready, though, you should share your feelings with someone you trust. Sadness works kind of like a certain annoying little cousin—if you completely ignore it, it’ll just keep popping up and giving you trouble. But if you face the feeling by talking about it, it won’t bother you so much. You’ll actually feel a lot better.
2. Keep doing the stuff you love.
You may not be in the mood for soccer practice or school or a friend’s birthday party, and you may be nervous about suddenly getting sad in the middle of it all. But the best way to feel like yourself again is to keep doing all the stuff you normally do. If you get sad, no big deal. Just take a little break until you’re ready to jump back in.
3. Know that it’s not your fault.
Sometimes people can feel guilty or responsible when a pet dies, like maybe if they’d done something differently, the pet might still be alive. But your pet didn’t die because of anything you did or didn’t do; it’s just something that happens.
4. Don’t be scared of sadness.
Feeling sad isn’t fun, but it’s not dangerous and it’s nothing to be scared of. You’ll be okay. Know why? Feelings don’t last forever. In fact, they change pretty darn fast. Most people feel delighted, disappointed, angry, thankful, jealous—all before lunchtime. It’s part of what keeps life interesting.
5. Say good-bye.
Find a way to celebrate your pet’s life, either by yourself or with others. Maybe you want to hold a funeral or a memorial service; maybe you want to place a plaque in the backyard or hang up a photo in your living room. The important thing is to do something special that gives you the chance to remember the good times with your pet, and to say good-bye.
Want more tips or fixes for other problems? Just want to check out some Fix-It Friends games and activities? Go to fixitfriendsbooks.com!
Resources for Parents
If your child is grieving the loss of a pet, these resources might help.
Books for Kids
The Day Tiger Rose Said Goodbye by Jane Yolen, Random House, 2011
Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant, Blue Sky Press, 1995
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst, Devorss & Co., 2000
Saying Goodbye to Lulu by Corinne Demas, Little, Brown Books, 2009
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst, Atheneum Books, 1987
Books for Parents
The Loss of a Pet: A Guide to Coping with the Grieving Process When a Pet Dies, 4th edition by Wallace Sife, PhD, Howell Book House, 2014
The American Humane Association Pet Loss Resources
americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/pet-loss-grief/
The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement
www.aplb.org
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
www.nctsn.org
Praise for
The Fix-It Friends: Have No Fear!
“Fears are scary! But don’t worry: the Fix-It Friends know how to vanquish all kinds of fears, with humor and step-by-step help. Nicole C. Kear has written a funny and helpful series.”
—Fran Manushkin, author of the Katie Woo series
“Full of heart and more than a little spunk, this book teaches kids that fear stands no chance against friendship and courage. Where were the Fix-It Friends when I was seven years old?”
—Kathleen Lane, author of The Best Worst Thing
“I love the Fix-It Friends as a resource to give to the families I work with. The books help kids see their own power to overcome challenges—and they’re just plain fun to read.”
—Lauren Knickerbocker, PhD, Co-Director, Early Childhood Service, NYU Child Study Center
“Hooray for these young friends who work together; this diverse crew will have readers looking forward to more.”
—Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Nicole C. Kear grew up in New York City, where she still lives with her husband, three firecracker kids, and a ridiculously fluffy hamster. She’s written lots of essays and a memoir, Now I See You, for grown-ups, and she’s thrilled to be writing for kids, who make her think hard and laugh harder. She has a bunch of fancy, boring diplomas and one red clown nose from circus school. Seriously.
Visit her online at nicolekear.com, or sign up for email updates here.
About the Illustrated
Tracy Dockray illustrated the paperback cover of Lois Lowry’s Stay, a dog’s tale about his life, and a picture book, Izzy & Oscar (Sourcebooks, 2015) a story about a more unusual kind of pet. Tracy has illustrated numerous other picture books such as The Tushy Book and the prize winning Lost and Found Pony, as well as an edition of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series, Ralph the Mouse series and Henry Huggins series. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
The Fix-It Friends Pledge
Just for Kids!
Resources for Parents
Praise Page
About the Author and Illustrator
Copyright
Text copyright © 2017 by Nicole C. Kear.
All rights reserved.
Imprint
A part of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
mackids.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Kear, Nicole C., author. | Dockray, Tracy, illustrator.
Title: The Fix-It Friends: wish you were here / Nicole C. Kear; illustrations by Tracy Dockray.
Other titles: Wish you were here
Description: First edition. | New York: Imprint, 2017. | Series: The Fix-It Friends; [4] | Summary: The Fix-It Friends are confronted with loss when their friend’s pet passes away. Includes a toolbox about grief and resources for parents.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016056991 (print) | LCCN 2017027701 (ebook) | ISBN
9781250086716 (Ebook) | ISBN 9781250086709 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781250115799 (hardcover)
Subjects: | CYAC: Grief—Fiction. | Pets—Fiction. | Helpfulness—Fiction. | Brothers and sisters—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | Schools—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.K394 (ebook) | LCC PZ7.1.K394 Fkm 2017 (print) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016056991
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
Illustrations by Tracy Dockray
Imprint logo designed by Amanda Spielman
First hardcover edition, 2017
First paperback edition, 2017
eBook edition, September 2017
9781250086716 (ebook)
If you steal this book, get ready for a hammerhead shark to eat you for dinner, because that’s what will happen.
Trust me. My name is Little Nicky and I know stuff.