cover image Ocho Loved Flowers

Ocho Loved Flowers

Anne Fontaine, , illus. by Obadinah Heavner. . Stoneleigh, $14.95 (48pp) ISBN 978-0-9789174-1-8

The first installment of the Annie Series, which aims to help children meet life challenges, tackles a tough one: the death of a pet. Fontaine takes a seemingly straightforward approach, letting her narrator deliver a detailed account of her cat’s month-long decline. The narrator, a girl, discovers the cat under the bed making a strange sound and then accompanies her mother on a trip to the vet. An exam produces the grim conclusion: Ocho the cat will not get better, and the vet predicts he has about 30 days left. Girl and mom attentively care for Ocho, grieve when he dies and, finally, learn to cherish his memory. Unfortunately, much of this scenario doesn’t bear close scrutiny (the vet’s pinpoint-accurate prediction of Ocho’s life expectancy; the quickness of the girl’s acceptance of Ocho’s prognosis; the steadiness of her recovery from grief). The illustrations, in vivid, sometimes garish hues, mimic the simplified lines and perspectives of children’s drawings. Talking points at the end encourage further dialogue. Ages 5-8. (Aug.)