From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4-- In a departure from her carefully researched historical fiction for older readers, Sutcliff here tells a romanticized story of Pippin, a tiny tan chihuahua who lives with a woman he calls Mommie. When, at age nine, he dies, he visits St. Francis in heaven and convinces him that he must make the long journey back to Earth to be with Mommie. Mommie, meanwhile, believing Pippin will be reincarnated, bides her time and watches for the birth of chihuahua puppies. In the spring, a puppy is born, and Pippin, now called Sebastian, is reunited with his mistress. This saccharine story mixes Christian images with those of reincarnation, and with the longings of many pet owners to resurrect a dead pet by obtaining a new one. While the book is somewhat rescued by an appropriately diminutive format, expressive black-and-white drawings, and flashes of Sutcliff's expressive prose, it still seems trite and overly personal. Judith Viorst's The Tenth Good Thing about Barney (Atheneum, 1971) and Carol Carrick's The Accident (Clarion, 1981) present more matter-of-fact pictures of grief and solace. --Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
