Acosta presents an honest, and heartfelt look at grieving, and the death of a pet. This is a sad issue that all pet owners must deal with eventually; it's good to have books like this available when the inevitable happens. A sweet selection for dog lovers of all ages.

With lovely, limited palette illustrations by Mercè Galí.

This book does a fantastic job of dealing with pet loss in a straightforward no nonsense way. It's a great resource for children who have suffered loss of any kind as the narrator deftly illustrates the feelings of grief in an approachable and age appropriate way. Highly recommend this book, and cannot wait to add it to our school's library collection.

Pumpkin and Me is a beautifully illustrated book about losing a pet. In the story, Pumpkin was very old and tired and he dies. The book uses the word “died’ rather than a euphemism, which I appreciate but families should be aware of before reading. The main character then has to deal with the strong, confusing emotions that come with the loss of a pet. In the end, the child realizes that memories of Pumpkin help the bad feelings go away. The way feelings are described makes them really easy to relate to, even for young children. I would recommend this to any family dealing with the loss of a pet.

This is a lovely story that deals with loss, grief and controlling emotions during this sad time. A little girl is the owner of a dog named Pumpkin. He is old and very tired. One day he looks at her, wags his tail, closes his eyes and dies. Everyone in the family is devastated.

Soon after strange things begin to happen to the little girl. A dark black cloud forms and hangs over her head. It hangs so low she can hardly lift up her chin. Her eyes begin to cry so vehemently that it feels she has soap in her eyes... and the worst feeling she experiences? She feels like an octopus has wrapped itself around her heart and squeezes so much it hurts. Oh my! What is happening to her?

Her mom, dad and grandma reassure her that those feelings are normal, although very painful, and they appear when you lose someone you love very much. The little girl listens to their consoling advice and things begin to change. She now focuses on how lucky she is to have had Pumpkin as her pet dog and she remembers all the good times they shared together. One night Pumpkin magically visits her in a dream and she comes to the realization that he will always be with her... in her memories and in her heart.

This book is a lovely way to discuss how to handle the emotions associated with the death of a dear loved one. The illustrations are simple and very kid-friendly. "Pumpkin and Me" will be very relatable if your child ( and your entire family ) have experienced the loss of a beloved pet family member. I love the book and highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley.

This one was a tough read since we lost our fur baby a little over a year ago. My daughter is in Kindergarten and loved the story of Pumpkin. It was a cute story.

Pumpkin and me is a story about a boy whose dog dies and the grief that follows his loss..
I think this book does a fantastic job helping kids to understanding feelings of sadness surrounding grief and I would recommend to anyone looking to help their child understand the love and loss of a beloved pet.

Pumpkin and Me is simple and sweet and tells a story of a young child processing the grief of losing her pet. I think they captured the child perspective very well and made the new, unnerving emotions and the way they describe their feelings easy to relate to for a young kiddo, or anyone really. I think this book is a great resource to have at home whether you are preparing for a death or possibly just lost a pet. I believe it will be a great comfort to your child.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What an adorable book! The story is very relatable and the illustrations are very cute. What a great way to help kids understand their feelings after losing a beloved pet.

Pumpkin and Me is a book about the special relationship between humans and dogs and the grief we feel when they are gone. This book does an excellent job of exploring grief in an accessible way. It will help all of us better understand why grief is necessary and that we all go through it.

This was cute and sweet. I loved the illustrations and relatable story. I can see this being a hit with young children.