Under the Blackberries - Hardcover

Pank, Rachel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0590454811 ISBN 13: 9780590454810

Publisher: Scholastic, 1992

Best friends Sonia and her cat Barnie share all sorts of experiences, so when Barnie disappears and Sonia's father soon tells her that he has had an accident and is gone, Sonia has a difficult time with the loss.

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From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- Inconsistencies in this British import weaken its message. Sonia and her cat are constant companions until he is killed in an accident. Her parents allow her a last look around the garden before bed (``He might be hiding''), and leave food for him. The next afternoon, neighbors and friends help bury Barnie in the backyard. Sonia plants a rosebush over the grave, feeds a friendly porcupine, and welcomes a new kitten after some time has passed. There are some problems here. Where were Barnie's remains while the parents let Sonia nurse her pre-bedtime hope of finding the cat alive? Also, the text has been Americanized but not the illustrations, thus leading readers to believe that it's safe to feed a wild porcupine--the animal shown is clearly a hedgehog. Pleasant watercolor-and-ink illustrations portray the friendships of the child and her pets, but Viorst's The Tenth Good Thing about Barney (Atheneum, 1971) is a better choice for youngsters dealing with death. --Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NE
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews:

Sonia and her black cat, Barney, are inseparable; when he suddenly disappears, she's inconsolable--offstage, Dad has explained that Barney was hit by a car. There's a funeral, with neighbors in attendance; Barney (who arrives in a large box) is buried in the garden. Weeks later, Sonia greets a new kitten with uncertainty that's soon dispelled, but Barney is not forgotten. The familiar story here isn't told with any particular insight, and is marred by an egregious Americanization: the friendly little hedgehog in the garden is no porcupine. But Pank's warm, nicely observed pen and watercolor illustrations do capture the nuances of feelings and relationships. Overall, an attractive setting for the theme. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright �1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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