Gone But Not Forgotten

Bone Dog

Written and Illustrated by: Eric Rohmann

Roaring Brook Press, 2011

32 pages

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Gus and his dog Ella grew up together; they were best pals. One day Ella tells Gus that she is getting older and her time is drawing near, but that she would always be with him no matter the circumstances. Ella passes and Gus is devastated; he does not have the desire and strength to carry on, but he does. One spooky Halloween night, Gus is walking home from trick-or-treating and is suddenly surrounded by a hungry group of skeletons. Will Ella keep her promise to always be there for Gus?

The illustrations were drawn first and then he finished them with the use of woodcut. They are colorful with a soft texture. The lines are both straight and curved; they are bold and help to define characters and objects.

I chose English Language Arts as my subject and Kindergarten as my grade. I would have the children take turns telling of a time that their pet was there for them. I would also allow them to draw a picture of them with their pet. I might even do a show-and-tell along with this book; the children could either bring a picture or stuffed animal that represents their pet.