LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
November 2022 Book of the Month
Merlin the dog is going for a walk. It’s a familiar route, past the shops, up the lane, across the fields and up the hill. He’s reluctant to go at first, because his best friend, black Labrador Hobbs, ‘the gentlest dog that ever was’, has gone. The empty dog basket tells us all we need to know.
But on his walk, Merlin is surprised and delighted to sniff out messages left for him by Hobbs in their favourite places. ‘I am OK’ they say, ‘It was time for me to go away’ and ‘If you need me/Just remember me here. I am with you, even though you can’t see me.’ It’s a sensitive and effective way to describe love and loss to young children, Merlin a wonderfully warm and comforting presence.
Emma Bettridge’s text is full of lyricism, Josephine Birch’s painterly illustrations fluid and expressive, and this is a special book to share.
Andrea Reece
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About
Goodbye Hobbs Synopsis
Merlin won’t go out. Not without his best friend Hobbs. Join Merlin as he goes on an adventure to learn how to say ‘Goodbye Hobbs’.
In this poetic text we are introduced to Merlin. Merlin won’t go out because he misses his best friend Hobbs. Merlin’s owner takes him on a walk and he ends up on a journey to learn how to say ‘Goodbye Hobbs’ and find reasons to go for walks again.
As one of the only children’s books addressing these feelings using animals, the book can also be used to discuss the loss of a beloved family pet. Goodbye Hobbs is a perfect resource for teachers or parents who may struggle to explain the complicated emotions surrounding the loss of someone.
Brilliantly illustrated by Josephine Birch, Goodbye Hobbs has already been recognised by a host of international book awards including the Laureate Award for Illustration, Bologna Children’s Book Fair Award and the World Illustration Award. It was also selected to be part of this year’s International dPICTUS Showcase.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781802582222 |
| Publication date: |
11th October 2022 |
| Author: |
Emma Bettridge |
| Illustrator: |
Josephine Birch |
| Publisher: |
Graffeg Limited |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
40 pages |
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Press Reviews
Emma Bettridge Press Reviews
'Goodbye Hobbs is an absolute joy to read aloud and a joy to look at – the design, the text layout, the illustrations… this book has a wonderful rhythm to the words and Josephine’s artwork is full of movement and fluidity like the wistful smells the main character chases.' Clare Helen Welsh, Books That Help
'An amazing story one that I recommend children reading as it might help them come to terms when grief strikes after an animal passes away.' BookRead2Day
'Quiet, meaningful, filled with feeling…a book that helps you find reasons to go for a walk again. Beautiful.' Mary Esther Judy, FallenStar Stories
'The illustrations are beautiful, perfectly capturing the whispers of memories in the trees.' It's All About Stories
Author
About Emma Bettridge
Emma Bettridge is a theatre producer, director, festival curator, and a children’s picture book writer. She is currently working with the likes of Pins and Needles, Vic Llewellyn, Bea Roberts, Laila Diallo, Katy Owen, Jen Bell and Elisabeth Westcott and is an associate lecturer at Bath Spa University, on the M.A. Creative Producing course.
More About Emma Bettridge
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Author Emma Bettridge says, ‘My Hobbs passed away in 2018 and the echoes of him in every part of my life were so loud at first I found it pretty tough to not miss him with every step. I wanted to articulate that cold, heavy feeling of grief. My protagonist, Merlin, is my dear brother’s dog, a dog who lost his owner, Holly (my brother Matt’s wife), in 2014 to breast cancer, and I wanted to honour his journey somehow, his and Matt’s – that they kept walking.’
Illustrator Josephine Birch says, ‘I remember vividly when my first dog Gypsy died, walking through the front door after school, finding her just still awake so we could say goodbye, and my mum carrying her to the vets after. Like many children it was one of my first experiences of death, so I was definitely thinking of this whilst I worked on Goodbye Hobbs.’
