Pablo's Pet
Pablo, who is Latinx, loves his red fish, Ruby, and is happy to find a book at his school library about a fish who wants to fly and is eager to read the book to his fish. But when he goes home, Ruby isn’t her usual swimmy self, and the next morning she’s not moving at all. Pablo’s parents break the news to him that Ruby has died. He’s sad at school, and his friends try to comfort him with good memories of Ruby. Later, his dad takes him to a plant store to buy a small tree with red leaves to plant over Ruby’s grave. After a small memorial service, Pablo pulls out his library book and reads it aloud next to Ruby’s grave. This surprisingly moving easy-to-read book acknowledges the weight of a loss when a pet dies, regardless of species, by aptly capturing the child’s feelings throughout. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-7
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Format:
Easy Reader
Subjects:
Books and Reading
Feelings/Emotions
Grief and Loss
Pets
Diversity subject:
Latinx
Publisher:
Lee & Low
Publish Year: 2021
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781643792064
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Tan