When Ben awakens one morning and finds that his dog doesn't respond with the usual tail wagging when he pets her, he calls his father from the breakfast table. "She's dead," his father tells him. All day long Ben thinks of his dog and the the things they used to do together. Charlotte Zolotow's outstanding text explains and comforts simultaneously while James Ransome's detailed oil paintings aptly show the sadness of a young African-American boy grieving the death of a beloved pet. (Ages 3-8)

Once there was a dog who loved to run and jump and play. She was the best friend Ben -- or any little boy -- could have. But as Ben got older, so did his dog. One morning, Ben's old dog didn't open her eyes or wag her tail. She didn't even move.

Charlotte Zolotow's remarkable insight into a universal experience -- the hurt and confusion a child feels after his first encounter with death -- is poignantly echoed by James Ransome's striking oil paintings.