The Tenth Good Thing About Barney | 
| Author: Judith Viorst
Creator: Erik Blegvad
Publisher: Aladdin
Category: Book
List Price: $5.99
Buy New: $1.99
You Save: $4.00 (67%)
New (39) Used (32) Collectible (1) from $0.02
Avg. Customer Rating:  34 reviews
Sales Rank: 55253
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 32
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 8 x 0.2
ISBN: 0689712030
EAN: 9780689712036
ASIN: 0689712030
Publication Date: September 30, 1987
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: T21 thin book
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Product Description
IMy cat Barney died this Friday. I was very sad. My mother said we could have a funeral for him, and I should think of ten good things about Barney so I could tell them.../I PBut the small boy who loved Barney can only think of nine. Later, while talking with his father, he discovers the tenth -- and begins to understand.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 29 more reviews...
 A charming book for all ages January 6, 2009
This is a classic! I'm 50 and my siblings and I grew up with this wonderful book about friendship, life and death...and life after a loved-one's death. My own (now adult)children grew up with it here in Italy (in English)...so it has proven itself across cultures, too! Now I have passed it on as a gift to my sensitive Italian son-in-law. He loves it even if his knowledge of English is limited! A must-have for any family's collection.
 A great springboard for discussing death December 14, 2008
I was frantic when our 2 family cats died within 3 months of each other. Our daughter was 3 years old at the time and I didn't know how to explain death to her. This book was sensitive to grief issues but also allowed for discussion about what happens after death, since no one really knows. The table scene with the kids is classic kid behavior depicting how kids deal with tough issues by being kids! br /br /We planted a rosemary bush above our cats and it has become a prolific supplier of fresh rosemary. Four years later and my daughter loves to go to the rosemary bush and harvest rosemary for family and friends. We feel that truth and giving, to the earth, to others, is a very important family value and that if we fertilize the ground, then we continue to give life to other living things. It may be blunt and too graphic for some, but it has been wonderful for our family, even after a grandparent has died.
 Book teaches children to doubt heaven September 24, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is about a little boy whose cat has died. They bury the cat under their tree. His friend Annie says his cat is in heaven. He insists his cat is in the ground - they just buried him there. They ask his dad. To quote from the book:br /br /"Maybe Barney's in heaven, my father began. Aha, said Annie, and stuck her tongue out at me.br / br /"And maybe, said my faither, Barney isn't. What did I tell you, I said, and yanked Annie's braid.br / br /"Father made me let go. We don't know too much about heaven, he told Annie. We can't be absolutely sure that it's there."br /br /They go out and plant seeds. The boy discovers that his cat will help leaves flowers grow because his cat is in the ground. br /br /That conclusion does not stand alone, it follows the discussion of whether the cat is in heaven or in the ground and whether or not heaven exists. If you don't believe in heaven, there are plenty of children's books about death that don't mention heaven. This book brings the topic up, questions heaven, and concludes the cat is in the ground.br /br /Why would anyone who believes in God and heaven give a grieving child such a book?
Not for those who believe in Heaven September 9, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book has SO much promise- it's fundamental storyline is beautiful and realistic for those who are grieving and having a funeral for a pet. However, this book takes a horrible detour when the young boy who's pet died and his friend return to the kitchen after the funeral for cookies and begin to argue if the cat is in heaven or just in the ground. The father enters in and states 'We don't know too much about heaven'... 'we can't be absolutely sure that it's there' and the frustrated little neighbor girl defends heaven one last time and goes home. As a parent dealing with the grief of losing a pet, the one firm anchor for us was that our cat's spirit has gone to Heaven and is happy and joyful alongside God and Jesus and those people and pets who have died before him. We are just putting his body into the ground- from which it will provide strength and nourishment to the living things around it. The book does cover that point nicely (I know some reviewers have found this issue unsettling- but for us this is a nice feeling to know that the 'fur and bones' of our cat that were left behind in this world will be helping the new tree we planted to grow and flourish).
For Everyone Who has lost a beloved pet August 4, 2008
This is a book that anyone can love, whatever the age. When we lose someone we love, human or pet, we become children and find ourselves bewildered and lost. To find words that will comfort is a true gift, and Judith Viorst has provided those words in this lovely book. I will never be without a copy again.br /br /In the past we have read this wonderful book when burying a pet that has died. Last week our dear cat died unexpectedly and we couldn't find a copy of this book. I have just ordered a replacement so we can read it over his grave. br /br /
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