| Title | : | The Tenth Good Thing About Barney |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0689712030 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780689712036 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 32 |
| Publication | : | First published July 1, 1971 |
| Awards | : | Zilveren Griffel (1973) |
But the small boy who loved Barney can only think of nine. Later, while talking with his father, he discovers the tenth—and he begins to understand.
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney Reviews
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A simple story about a little boy mourning the loss of his pet cat. Erik Blegvad’s illustrations are wonderful as always.
Read on open library -
When you raise a child, or teach young children, there is bound to come a time when a beloved pet dies. Given that the life cycle of animals is short, it is often the first death a child will experience. This story is first person narrative of a young boy trying to comprehend and come to terms with the death of his cat, Barney.
They’ve decided to have a funeral and, the night before, the boy’s mother tells him to think of ten good things about Barney.
At the funeral, attended by both parents and neighbour Annie, the boy recites his list of good things: smart, and cuddly, and so on. Those are all good things about Barney, said my mother, but I just count nine. I said I would try to think of another one later.
And later, as they work together in the garden, his dad tells him how things change in the ground, and that yes, Barney will change, too. And the boy comes to understand how Barney fits in with the circle of life, in this story that comes full circle itself, and delivers on its title.
One small detail I found particularly interesting was that Viorst named everyone except the boy. That way, when you read this story to/with children who have suffered the loss of a pet, it will be easy for them to put themselves into the boy’s place. Was this deliberate? Viorst has written many books for children, and she can be counted on to be truthful, empathetic and quite insightful. -
At roughly 2pm this afternoon (June 21st, 2009) my cat - friendly and loving little beast, hair-raising terror, and long-time companion - breathed her last. Sixteen years old, Kitty (no, I didn't name her) had been with me for half the span of my life, and although she had been ill for some time, it was still a heart-breaking decision to have her euthanized. As my mother and I sat with her while the injection took effect, we found ourselves recalling all the wonderful ways she had contributed to our home and family.
Kitty was my mother's "prayer cat," and would sit next to her every morning, purring as loudly as possible, while my mother said her daily "prayers and meditations." She was a sociable little beast (except when she wasn't) and I have fond memories of the many times she would come sit with me on the sofa, while I was curled up, reading a book. She had this adorable habit of coming out of her bed (or the forbidden closet) to greet me when I got home, lolling about on her back, hoping to trick me into petting her tummy. Little hussy - as if I didn't know it was all a ruse so she could give my hand a little nip! "Kisses, not nips!" I would intone, and she would lick my finger, as if in apology...
And so it is, as I sit here this evening, trying not to think about how empty the apartment seems without her, I am reminded of Judith Viorst's wonderful picture book, The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, in which a young boy struggles to cope with the loss of his beloved cat by compiling a list of "good things" about him. As someone who has been involved with children's books for many years, I have had more than one occasion to recommend this title, but had never, until today, understood its acute sensitivity to the rituals of grieving.
What could be more natural, at a time like this, than that we should want to recall all the ways in which our animal companion brought us happiness? And what could be more reassuring, especially for the young children at whom this book is aimed, than the fact that their instinctive reaction is one shared by many others? Highly, highly recommended. -
I finally read this book after years and years of hearing it hyped as the perfect book to help a child deal with the loss of a pet, so I expected a lot.
It's not a bad book. I've always liked Judith Viorst's wry voice that seems to capture children's unsure moments so perfectly, and ...Barney has a lot of that.
The particular details of the story are even good -- I love that the boy's mother wraps Barney in a piece of cloth before they bury him. I love that the boy's best friend attends the funeral to hear him recite the nine best things about Barney. I love the little argument they have after the funeral, about whether Barney is really in heaven, or if he's just in the ground.
But the book takes a jarring twist when the boy decides what the 10th good thing about Barney is. The 10th good thing is basically that Barney is dead and rotting. OK, OK -- specifically, he is dead and rotting and therefore helping flowers to grow. Life will come from his death, and yes, that is the message.
But really. Basically the 10th good thing about Barney is that he's dead and rotting. I'm a fairly morbid person, very interested in the process of death and decomposition, and I don't necessarily believe children should be shielded from death. I do, however, think the ending of this story is too morbid when compared to its otherwise sweet, sentimental beginning. It doesn't seem to fit. -
Thanks to Hilary I got to find out about this lovely story of a child and his cat Barney, who has just passed away and was buried in the garden. I need to use Open Library a lot more than I do, as it does have many gems on it.
🐈🌲🐈🌲🐈🌲 -
Over afscheid schrijven is geen sinecure, laat staan in een prentenboek gericht aan de jongsten onder ons.
Toch slaagt Judith Viorst daar wonderwel in.
Wanneer de poes sterft, zeggen mama en papa dat ze samen met buurmeisje Merel een begrafenis zullen houden. 'Je mag 10 mooie dingen verzinnen om over Roetje te vertellen', krijgt het ontroostbare kind te horen. Maar telkens vindt ze er maar negen. Papa en mama vertellen wanneer nodig rustig en kalm dat er misschien een hemel is, maar misschien ook niet. Dat de poes langzaam door de aarde weer wordt opgenomen. Dat afscheid bij het leven hoort. En wanneer er de lente nadien bloemen op het graf groeien, wel, dat is heel wat voor een kat.
Dikke pluim voor de vertaling van J.H. Gever. de illustraties van Fleur Van der Weel passen sober en gedetailleerd perfect bij het verhaal. -
I love Juith Viorst's funny books, about the frustrations of being a kid. But I treasure this one, about death.
A beloved cat dies, and it's sad. The viewpoint character is a little kid, and it is tough for the kid to understand how to handle grief (I am honestly not sure about the gender of the child, nor does it matter). Mom suggests that the kid make a list of all the things that made Barney the cat special. Both parents are clear that it's ok to be sad, that the loss is real and that they are grieving, too.
The kid and a friend bandy around ideas about what happens when a cat dies, and Dad rejects the idea that anyone knows what happens to the soul, but we do know what happens to the body.
A lot of reviews I've seen are very negative about the "areligious" aspect of talking about decomposition, and not Heaven, but I think it is a comfort, at least it was for the very tangible minds of my young children.
We don't know what happens to the soul, if any, after death, but we are pretty clear on what happens to bodies. This is a book about the acceptability of grief, and the consolation of good coming from hard things. -
OK, so my kiddo enjoyed this book, but we won't be reading it again. I have two main issues with the book: 1) Dealing with the death of a pet, which is sometimes really hard for kids. Perhaps we read it to soon (he's 5), but it's not the easiest topic to cover gently & tactfully...thankfully Viorst did a decent (not stellar) job. This brings me to point 2) I dislike that she is so wishy-washy about Heaven, God, and Christianity in general. I get that she has personal convictions (or lacks them), but I really take issue with inserting this point of view into a children's book. It is not comforting to approach the topic of death - of any entity - with the idea that there may or may not be a heaven, but if there is, s/he is probably there. That runs completely counter to Christian convictions, which will burn some people off a fairly sweet story otherwise. Since elementary aged children are her target, it's just inappropriate to insert dogma into what would otherwise be an innocent story for a kid.
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The classic picture book of a little boy who's cat has died. He's having a hard time and his mother tells him to think of 10 good things about Barney, his cat. So he begins to think. Here's what he comes up with:
Barney was:
Brave
Smart
Funny
Clean
Cuddly
Handsome
Only once ate a bird
It was sweet to hear him purr in my ear.
Sometimes he slept on my belly and kept me warm.
But the boy falters. That's only nine. He can't think of anything else. His father is going to work in the garden and invites him to come along. He doesn't really want to but he goes along for a little while.
As they work he asks his father questions about how things grow in the ground. His father explains to him about all how things change. The young boy asks if Barney will change to. He learns that yes, Barney will change and he will help the flowers grow.
And finally the young boy has his tenth good thing about Barney: he'll help the flowers to grow. -
Every time I read this I say I won't cry, and every single time I end up a filthy liar.
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This is a children's book meant to express what it's like to deal with the death of a beloved pet. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. It was ok. I like that it wasn't set up with a religious angle in mind. I think it can be hard for young children to grasp ideological concepts when dealing with grief. Some are ok with it and that's great but for the ones who don't get it there should be a simpler answer. However I also think that this book runs a bit low in the feelings department. I guess could be just me reading a children's book from an adult point of view. Ironically it's usually the other way around and I'm crying or laughing out loud over them. I wanted to feel more but I think a kid reading this would probably be feeling a lot.
Also I think that the tenth thing about Barney, being that he becomes the ground that the plants grow from, seems kind of like a cop out. I get that he's giving life to the plants and all that jazz but can't the boy think of any actual qualities about Barney. Then again he is just a kid's cat so maybe I'm being judgy (but the parents could have helped). All I know is that I've got a pretty long list of reasons why my animals are the best and being dead in the ground isn't one of them! Ok enough wacky ravings from me on the whole pet funeral eulogy protocol. I'll give this a solid 3 stars.
Btw the illustrations are bleak fine line drawings befitting of a cat funeral and suit the book and its subject matter well. My fave is of Barney from behind walking off on the back cover of the book. -
Barney was a cat who died who died on a Friday. His young owner is sad, VERY, VERY sad. Working through his grief, wise beyond his years, the young boy, remembers the good things about Barney.
As he cannot sleep, eat or play, his overactive mind and his broken heart remember Barney. And, such is life! The joy and the pain of gaining and then losing.
Finally falling asleep thinking of nine good things of Barney, the next day at the funeral for Barney, there is a remembrance that
Barney was brave
Barney was smart
Barney was funny
Barney was clean
Barney was cuddly
Barney was handsome
Barney only ever ate one bird
It was a lovely sound to hear Barney's purr
It was special when Barney slept on the boy's belly
And, as Barney is gently lowered into the ground, the tenth good thing noted is that he will now nourish the ground, help to grow flowers, trees and grass.
And, as the young grieving man notes -- "You know, that's a pretty nice job for a cat!"
This is a wonderful book which tenderly shows the grief of a young boy losing a precious pet and the knowledge that Barney will continue to live on.
Recommended. -
I love
Judith Viorst's books. They are so poignant, and sincere, and she often pulls no punches, even with sensitive and difficult topics. Her stories are usually filled with wit and wisdom, even those told from a child's perspective, like this one.
This story handles the death of a pet with sensitivity, but also a frankness that shows that life and death are all a normal part of our life cycle and our world. Our girls were sad after we read this, but we talked about how we should love our pets and indeed one another with all of our hearts. None of us will be here forever, so we must be as loving and kind as we can while we are here.
Overall, I thought this was a lovely book and would be perfect to read with a child who has experienced the death of a pet or to help prepare them for such an occurrance. -
Summary: Barney was a cat. He died last Friday. And everyone was sad. They did what most people do when a cat they like dies. They had a funeral. And then they tried to think of good things about him. They wanted to remember him as he was; and they thought about some other things, too. Whenever a cat dies, or a dog, or a bird, or any friend, it can be a little like this story about Barney. Since dying is as usual as living, it's good to know about him.
Thanks Goodreads!
Reading Level: 1st- 4th grade
Genre: Picture Book
Topic: Death & Grief
Use: Read Aloud, Independent & Guided Reading
Social Issues: Accepting Death
Text/Images: The illustrator used pencil drawings in this book. I think that was a wise choice, because death is not a happy thing. It would have been contrasting if the illustrator used bright happy colors. -
This is one of the best books about death, not just the death of a beloved animal companion, that I've ever read. The references and illustrations are a little dated -- lovely, just the same. But the rituals and philosophies described in the text -- thinking of ten good things about the deceased, realizing people think about death differently and some people choose to believe in a heaven and some people can only believe in what they have seen upon this earth, the realities of death and the circle of life in how a beloved pet's remains may help a garden, a rose bush, a tree, to grow. Whereas a book like Dog Heaven is filled with childlike possibilities, this book is filled with the childlike newness and rawness of grief, of questioning, of learning, of remembering, and of accepting death as a part of life.
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This is a beautiful book depicting the struggles of losing a beloved pet and also coming to terms with the circle of life. The family comes together of support for the son, who loved Barney the most. Now that he's gone, the son is bereft, and doesn't feel so much like doing anything. The Tenth Good Thing About Barney has amazing illustrations which only add to the wonderful, memorial nature of the book. Overall, this is a genuine book that strives to ease the pain of those going through similar events, or to at the very least reinstate a sense of empathy and understanding to those going through this pain.
Review cross-listed
here! -
A young boy experiences the death of a pet cat, Barney. His mother suggests that he comes up with a list of ten good things about Barney to share during his burial. he comes up with nine. The boy goes through many different emotions and with the help of his father, he is able to come up with the tenth thing.
Viorst does a nice job of capturing the many emotions and questions that a child might have when experiencing the death of a pet. I also think the advice of the parents given in this book might help the child to process through their own feelings.
The simple, black and white drawings allow the content of the book to remain the focus for the readers. -
This book is another good resource for helping children understand the concrete and biological aspects of death. It is about a pet, so doesn't directly address loss of a person (which can be a pro and a con), but it is positive about expressing feelings about a loss (both sadness and good memories.) It does touch on the idea of Heaven, but doesn't really take a stance on it: "We don't know too much about Heaven, he told Annie. We can't be absolutely sure that it's there." The book starts up once the pet has already died, so it does not address the dying process at all (again could be a pro or a con, depending on the situation for which you need the book.)
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When the family cat dies, Mom tells her son to think of ten good things about Barney in tribute. He can only think of nine, and struggles through the book to come up with a tenth thing. Generally, this book is a nice idea for kids when their pet dies. Unfortunately, that tenth thing might not be so comforting to some children. And if you are going with the concept of cat heaven for your kids, this book will not support that idea at all. So be sure you read this first to determine the appropriateness for your particular audience.
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We just lost our cat and this was a recommended book to check out. There really could not have been a better book to check out. We too plan to bury our cat in the yard under a tree. I have not yet read the book to our daughter (nearly 5) as I wanted to check the book out for myself - and to be honest I was a puddle of tears at the library flipping through. I think now that things have settled a little bit - we are ready to read this great little book as a family. In addition the illustrations are delightful!
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In this story a child's loved cat, Barney, dies, so the little boy is very sad and cries a lot. His mother says they can have a funeral for his pet, so to think of 10 good things about Barney to say at the funeral. By the morning of the funeral, he had been able to think of only nine.
Later in the day, when the boy is helping his father in the garden, he learns something important - and something especially nice about Barney.
This is a great story for children grieving the loss of a pet. -
The story was okay, but I could see how it would be good for a young child who has lost a pet or even a human loved one.
Update: I just read this again (2021) and I cried and felt I needed it. Better than 3 stars. -
Classic book about pet death. Just a tad too old for Natalie (3 years old), but would be more suitable if we had a direct need for it. Our cats are getting up there, so I like the idea of introducing this type of book occasionally before the crisis.
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A children's book about grief, love, hand hope.
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This woman is a prolific genius.
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As a clinical psychologist working with children, I found this little gem helpful to start a conversation about loss.
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In this picture book, a boy has a funeral for his dead cat and thinks of 10 good things about him. In a short space, Viorst deals with themes of death, grief, religion (to an extent), and love.
