Having recently put my dog out of his misery and my grandchildren's cat receiving palliative care, I wanted to see if this book would be beneficial to them. They enjoyed the story about Venus growing older and getting tired and losing her sight. Their "Chief" is doing the same things. We talked about the special place for animals and the "rainbow bridge". The only think I would have liked to see differently is someone from the family being with their cat when the end comes. My grandson commented that "Auntie Nini" would come to their house when it was time to say goodbye to Chief so they could all hug him one last time. Overall this is a very simple way to show children that there is a place for their beloved pets when they are no longer with us on Earth. The publisher, Rosemount FARM Publishing, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. The rating, opinions and ideas are my own.

This was beautiful but also very heartbreaking as I think everyone will relate to how we felt when we lost a pet.

If anyone has had a beloved family pet and it has passed on you can relate to this heartfelt story.

Venus is a beautiful cat who is the delight of all her family members. She is tenderly pampered with tasty food, brushings every day and quality play times. She is taken very good care of and wrapped in plenty of snuggles and love. Venus is an inside cat but that doesn't stop her kitty instincts of wanting to be outside chasing birds and romping freely through the grass.

Years pass and Venus doesn't play with the same energy that she once had. She takes longer naps and dreams of chasing the birds in the backyard.

When she is seventeen years old, she starts to forget where her litter box is and can't see as well as she used to.

Gina, her owner, takes Venus to the vet and discovers her heart is getting weak and she is very sick. Venus is allowed home for a few days to say farewell to her family but she must return to the animal hospital so they can make her as comfortable as possible when she goes to kitty heaven.

Sadly she is taken home and is surrounded by her family who love on her with hugs and treats and say their goodbyes to their special pet. A week later she is returned to the hospital leaving everyone devastated knowing that she will not be returning back home.

The book covers the emotions that the family experiences regarding Venus's death and how they cope afterwards. God sends a very special sign to them after her passing to reassure them that Venus is in a wonderful place now. She is romping around outside, chasing butterflies and birds, and very happy. She is pain-free because yes, she has arrived at her destination... she in kitty heaven.

The story is one that begs for dialogue about owning and coping with the death of a pet. The illustrations are striking, bold and full of emotion and heart. I love the book and would highly recommend it for home, a classroom or a school library.

A GIFT FROM VENUS is a beautiful little book about a sweet kitty named Venus, her life with her family and her death and how they cope. The illustrations are vivid and lovely ... Venus’ blue eyes practically glow. The tone is respectful and sensitive, making this a helpful book to explain the death of a pet to a young child. 5/5

Pub Date 28 Jun 2018

Thanks to Concierge Marketing Inc. and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#AGiftFromVenus #NetGalley

This is such a sweet book about the life and death of a family pet, a cat named Venus. It is wrote in such a way that a child will understand about losing a pet . It has beautiful illustrations to go along with the story. Thank you NetGalley and Concierge Marketing Inc., Rosemount FARM Publishing for the free copy of this book. This is my honest review.

A book that would be helpful for children going through the loss of a pet. Though sad, it shows the real process of losing a pet and grieving.