I'll Always Love You - Hans Wilhelm > Reviews (1)

I'll Always Love You is the most bittersweet children's picture book that I have read. It is also the best book that I have found to help children deal with feelings of grief and talk about bereavement.

* The Front Cover *

On the front cover of the book is a watercolour picture showing the back of a child with their arm around a rather podgy looking dog. The two are sitting on the ground and leaves are blowing about, giving the picture an autumnal feel.

* The Story *

The story starts with the sentence "This is a story about Elfie - the best dog in the whole world." The first page is illustrated with a picture of a baby boy sitting in his babygro on the floor, next to a puppy. The boy and puppy are sharing the dog's dinner.

The boy and Elfie grow up together, but Elfie grows at a faster rate than the boy. The boy explains that although his brother and sister loved Elfie, she was his dog. Elfie and the boy share a variety of adventures, on the beach, digging in the flower garden and causing mischief. When Elfie gets into trouble the family forget to say that they love her, they think that she just knows that.

Now Elfie gets older and likes to sleep more and walk less, and the boy becomes worried. The family takes Elfie to the vet, who says that there isn't much that he could do, Elfie was just getting old. Eventually Elfie becomes to old to walk up the stairs, but the boy is determined to let her sleep in his room, and each night before he goes to sleep he says "I'll always love you."

One morning the family wakes to find that Elfie has died in the night. They bury Elfie and hug and cry. The boy says that his brother and sister loved Elfie a lot, but they never told her so. The boy was sad, but the fact that he always told Elfie how much he loved her helps him.

A neighbour offers the boy a new puppy, and even though the boy knows that Elfie wouldn't mind he refuses. The story ends with the boy saying that one day he will get another pet and will tell it every night "I'll always love you."

* The Illustrations *

I'll Always Love You has been written and illustrated by Hans Wilhelm. The illustrations are actually watercolour pictures, and they definitely capture the spirit of both young children and puppies. The illustrations tell equally as much of a story as the text itself, if not more.

Hans Wilhelm has managed to show the developing relationship between the boy and his pet, he shows Elfie making a puddle next to the boy on his potty, and both Elfie and the boy sharing dreams and thoughts together.

The saying a picture is worth a thousand words is definitely true when it comes to the illustration of the family stroking Elfie after she has passed away. The text here is simple "One morning I woke up and discovered that Elfie had died during the night." The picture shows the family clinging together in grief and Elfie wrapped peacefully in a blanket in her basket. Children actually like this picture, because it removes some of the anxiety about death, Elfie just looks as though she is sleeping.

* The Layout *

The book is fully illustrated in colour and the position of the text changes on each page. This book is 18.5cm tall and 22.5 cm wide. The story is 29 pages long.

* The Text*

This is a child's picture book. There are only a few lines of text on each page, and the text level is easy enough for most 6 or 7 years olds to read independently. I have shared this book with children as young as five, but due to the sensitive nature of the book, I would be wary about reading it to a younger child.

Although the text level is aimed at a young reader the issues dealt with in this book mean that it can be shared with much older children.
The boy is never given a name in the story, and somehow this helps children to think of themselves in that position. The fact that the boy is the main character is also useful because boys do sometimes have more difficulty sharing and expressing their feelings.

* The Benefits of this Book *

This is a beautifully written and illustrated children's book. It is a book that always manages to bring a tear to my eye, and yet children seem to be able to focus on the positive theme of the story. I was given this book during my late teens and still managed to appreciate the messages in the story, despite the fact that it is aimed at much younger children.

The story shows Elfie enjoying her life, and the little boy playing with and loving and caring for her. These feelings and emotions are important for young children to relate to and develop, and this book shows that you can enjoy yourself whilst still showing sensitivity for others.

The story deals with the death in a completely honest way. It shows Elfie aging, yet still being loved and enjoying life. It shows the compassion of the family and especially that of the boy. Children cope with grief and bereavement in a variety of ways. The way that Elfie and the boy's relationship is depicted offers some relief to children going through this difficult journey.

This book is not only useful for children who have suffered from the loss of a pet, but can help them understand the feelings that they will have after the loss of a person too.

Furthermore it can help children who have not suffered from grief, as it highlights the importance of letting those close to us know how much we love and care for them even though we may sometimes be cross with them.

This book does deal with issues sensitively, but if you are thinking of sharing it with a child I would definitely advise reading it through first and checking that the story will help rather than hinder the grieving process.

* Other Information *

Published by Knight Books
ISBN 0-340-40153-2
There is limited availability but the book can be purchased from Amazon in Hardback for £17.53
My copy is a paperback edition purchased in 1986 for £2.50