A beautiful, creative book about grief and how animals say goodbye. The art style is so beautiful and being able to see that death and grief is experienced by all creatures may help children (and adults) feel like they're not alone.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

This is not a book that you are just going to randomly read for fun or leave out in your classroom. It's designated for those who are preparing to say goodbye to a loved one. The story was inspired by a young girl who was there when her dog had to be put down, but it also applies to people. I had a hard time getting through it, because it took me back to those final moments with each of my parents as they passed. I think I actually uttered some of those words to them.

It's also supposed to show how animals deal with death and grief, which I think too often we forget they also go through.

I think maybe because of my own personal experience going through this relatively recently with my parents, it was harder for me to read the book from the perspective of animals. I think I know what the author's intention was. And I also had moments of remembering being there when my elderly pets also died recently and how the younger ones reacted. But the part about "I will watch our children grow up. I will watch our grandchildren, too," kind of threw me off a bit. I don't know how children will relate to that part. I felt like I was getting mixed stories from this one book. Is it people or is it animals? I think minus that little bit, I may have appreciated the story more.

Nevertheless, I think it could potentially be a starting point for conversation with children when you know that a pet or beloved relative or friend is going to pass on, how you can say goodbye and grieve as you remember them after they're gone. We never know how we are actually going to react as adults, let alone how the kids are going to react in these situations.

I will say that the illustrations are absolutely beautiful and do compel all kinds of emotions when you look at them. I could feel the sadness and the pain of the animals saying goodbye to their loved ones.

Thank you to the publisher for fulfilling my review request via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ah, well this book was really heavy. Death, one of those topics that is bound to come up but so hard to explain. I loved how graceful it was dealt with in this book. The beautiful images paired well and kept the mood light. I will continue to show this book to my son and continue to answer his questions and search for answers for my own. It's a great starting book.

I am so grateful for books when life becomes difficult. They are such a blessing when it's time to explain those difficult things to children. This book is beautiful and gentle and has gorgeous illustrations.

'A Last Goodbye' beautifully broaches the topic of death in a way children can relate and understand. Each page beautifully illustrates the way animals have their own ritual and way of dealing with losses. It is naturally sad. But, if you are looking for this type of book you won't go wrong here.

I am giving it five stars because the illustrations are heartbreaking and emotional, the topic is fragile and difficult, and it was overall done very well. If I were to ding it on any point it would be the words. They are all fine but I felt it lacked a bit of lyrical cadence that would have enhanced the experience.

Thank you @Netgalley and @owlkids for early access to this ARC in return for an unbiased and voluntary review.

Picture book presentation about the rituals various animal families practice when one of their own passes. Sincere, concise, as it gently introduces the child to the inevitably of death, and ways in which animals honor a life well lived.

Tragically there are many children who will face the loss of someone they love. How can we help children cope with their fears and their grief over illness, death, and loss? The calm and soothing narrative of this book will give children a safe space to discuss their anxieties by exploring how animals tend to the dying and said goodbye to the dead. The intimate first person narrative is brilliant enhanced bydiorama style illustrations.

Whether mourning the loss of a pet or loved family member, children do experience grief. This an excellent book for helping kids process their losses and think about their loved ones. The collage pictures are lovely, and the text is gentle and empathetic. I look forward to seeing a physical copy of this book, as the pages in the e-galley I read were out of order (and not numbered). However, it is a beautiful book with an important message for children that death is something we can and should talk about.

My Thoughts
First of all, the layered collage-style artwork is visually stunning and sweetly beautiful. And next, this book approaches the difficult topics of death and grieving with sensitivity and empathy.

Parents and caregivers can read the book first if they feel these subjects might be tough for young ones, but the gentle text accompanied by the lovely illustrations will make it easy.

By showing how different animals love and grieve (while they may do so in different ways), the book tells young readers that it is OK to be sad. It also can help young ones prepare for the death of loved ones and pets, and to honor them and cherish their memories when they are no longer with us.

In Summary: A great resource for parents and caregivers to help children deal with grief and death.

Note: I learned a lot about the grieving rituals of the various animals depicted in this book.

<a href="https://www.ladyinreadwrites.com/">Check my blog - LadyInReadWrites - for more reviews</a>

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC of the book; these are my honest opinions after reading this inspirational book.

Children maintain a certain innocence about them that shields them from the more difficult trials and tribulations that we as adults deal with. Children are not meant to deal with the things adults deal with. They do not have the mental, physical or emotional capacity to handle certain things, and they do not understand and handle them the same as an adult might. Death is one of those things that can be especially difficult for children. They do not understand the concept, they do not understand the how or the why. This is why death can be more difficult for children to grasp and work through.

A Last Goodbye presents the idea of death in a child-friendly manner that is both clever, informational, and pleasant. Death is unpleasant, and losing someone is painful. Trying to make death relatable for children to understand and comprehend is not easy feat. Kelsey's book explain death in pre- and post-mortem. It looks at death in the sense that it will happen, and help the child to prepare for it, and it also provides comfort to the child when the inevitable does happen.

This book uses stunning visual art in multiple mediums in such a way that is jumps off the page. The artistic immersion makes the words that accompany it easier to stomach. It is both a distraction and a complement to the unpleasantness that is death. The clever use of animals is also a wonderful method of communication. All the animals depicted in the book actually maintain a sort of ritual when it comes to death and/or goodbyes. Not only is this informational but it helps to give goodbye a deeper meaning across more species than just humans. This helps children to see that goodbye happens all around them and it is nothing to be afraid of, and that there is no one way to grieve. Death is scary. Especially to a child who doesn't understand it. A Last Goodbye helps children to understand what death means for them, and helps them to see what will happen once someone is gone. This view of the afterlife helps to make death seem less scary, less uncertain, and reassures the child that death is not the end. I truly appreciate this book's ultimate goal and that is to help children to grieve and get through this terrible tragic moment of their life.

This artistic picture book is a necessary topic that is broached deftly for young children. Death is always hard to explain, but by using examples from the animal kingdom, Ms. Kelsey reminds us of the things all creatures of the earth share - family, caring, and love.

Animal mourning rituals provide a reassuring introduction to the topic of losing a loved one in this beautiful book for young children. Cut-out illustrations are rendered with ink and watercolor. It is most interesting to read the backwater, which clarifies the fact that the fascinating animal behaviors included in the story are scientifically sound.

Preciously beautiful in every way

This book describes the process of saying goodbye to a loved one, directly and naturally, without frills and free of dogmas. In the magnificent artwork (I want to emphasize that it is really great) the children appreciate the whole process of mourning and the natural expression of pain of their family. This clear description helps children know what to expect and gives them a certain sense of containment. In a very beautiful way, the author shows that we are part of a lineage of love that will continue to transcend, understanding that death sustains everyone's life, the child has a deeper understanding of life, of existence itself.

When children experience the loss of a family member they are often unprepared and therefore it is often a very hard time for them. By avoiding this confusion we will help them better process grief. As long as we allow their emotional expression and teach them to accept and manage those emotions, children will be able to develop their grief in a natural and adaptive way.

Death and loss education should be integrated into education (at home and school) from an early stage, as fear of death and other socialized fears begin to appear possibly around 5-6 years of age, and are often reinforced by the cultural environment. Those children who grow up in families in which adults regularly talk to them, develop a much richer vocabulary and a higher level of emotional intelligence. We protect them better if we incorporate them to the extent that their age is appropriate. We can help them understand (at least minimally) family rituals and allow them to participate in them as much as possible. It is important to note that each child (like each adult) acts and experiences this process differently. These differences will depend on their temperament, their environment, the experience they have and their level of psychological development.

My sincere appreciation to the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review the book

This is a beautifully written picture book that will offer comfort to anyone who has lost a loved one- a grandparent, parent, child, pet, friend. This is a book to cherish and read any time you are mourning the loss of a loved one whether is was yesterday or last year.

Stunning, moving children's book about dying and death. 'A Last Goodbye' encourages caring and empathy and how we can honor our family members. The illustrations are gorgeous and show great tenderness. This is a perfect book to explain death and the cycle of life to children.

Thank you NetGalley and OwlKids Books for providing this ARC.

I am not quite sure what I was thinking this book would be about besides about death due to the fact that you can clearly see a dead hyena, what looks like to be some grieving lemurs and the tell-tale title of the book. What I found inside the book, though, was actually quite a surprise.

First of all the book is a bit on the confusing side due to the fact that it seems to be a children's book about loss and it has so much sweet baby animals throughout the pages. But the more you read into it and study the illustrations you know they aren't mentioning the death of a child but more or less the death of an elderly creature instead.

Each page looks into the death rituals that has been noted in nature such as when dolphins and whales help to support each other when they are injured or too sick to be able to breath on their own, the comforting of a passing animal by another of its species or even the pausing of elephants to inspect the body of one who has died. Due to the brief description on each page, though, you really don't get to learn much more about these instances in nature.

What I really have to say I love the most is the artwork for the book and just that alone would possibly encourage me to buy the book for my own library. Instead of the classic illustrations with some type of coloring medium, the artwork is a collection of various arts-and-crafts material combined together to make gorgeous dioramas that most definitely standout.

But in the end even though the concept was good and the illustrations were beautiful I really can't say I would recommend this book since there is definitely no specific audience that it is geared towards. The fact that it explores adult themes removes it from kid lit while I am not sure you would want to share this with the dying nor with a spouse even if you are taking care of one who is readying to pass. All in all it is just an awkward book for recommending....

***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

A Last Goodbye is a beautifully written, and illustrated, story about animal behavior when a loved one dies. There is sadness, but eventually memories bring joy.

The language is informative and simple, yet engaging. The illustrations are soft and inviting. I would recommend this book for a child who has lost a family member or a beloved pet. As loss is a part of life, this book I can be a comfort throughout life.

Thank you to OwlKids Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC to review.

Wow, this book really pulls at your heart strings. What a great way to show children that EVERYONE grieves. Even animals. The illustrations throughout the book are beautiful and really add to the story. This will definitely be an add to my classroom library.

This was one of the most beautiful and touching non-fiction picture books I've read! The artwork is masterful, and somehow obviously portrayed the difference between the animals living, dying and even passed on! There were even beautiful images of the dead bodies becoming part of the beauty of life again. Wow! The facts are well researched and tastefully shared, and the comparison to the loss of human lives is quietly understood.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this wonderful ARC book! I will be purchasing this book for my school's library this year!

#ALastGoodbye #NetGalley

Although I personally liked this book, I find that it has a very limited potential audience. It speaks in a voice anticipating death, not after a death. This makes it rather unsuitable for giving to children to help them handle grief. It would be a good tool for a child asking about death or what do animals do when one dies. It is based on real science so it wouldn't be bad in an older elementary classroom to talk about animal intelligence or social animals. The art is beautiful as is the message in general but it would be tough for me to hand-sell as a bookseller.