The Heaven of Animals

What happens to our beloved animals after they die? "Sometimes I think that they already know,/ all of the animals... just where they'll go," writes Tillman (I'd Know You Anywhere, My Love). In her signature style, manipulating and softening photographs with painterly effects, she shows a black-and-white border collie gazing off into the distance as a matching black-and-white cat looks on and a butterfly hovers under fluffy white clouds. A winged child in a T-shirt and jeans tosses a flying disc across a sandy beach to a Dalmatian: "When dogs get to heaven/ they're welcomed by name,/ and angels know every dog's/ favorite game." Wide expanses of space where animals can roam untethered, never-ending supplies of food ("as soon as they nibble,/ grass grows itself back"), and peace between species that are predator and prey on Earth are all part of the magic. Tillman has an uncanny knack for providing images of pure pleasure; perhaps because of its weightier theme, this is a particularly affecting addition to her library of titles. Ages 4-8. Agent: Cathy Hemming, Cathy Hemming Literary Agency. (Sept.)

K-Gr 2--Tillman describes a heaven for animals that is a magical place. Angels know every dog's name and its favorite games, and all of the creatures coexist peacefully. A gorilla is eye to eye wth a cat, a dog is curled up with a buffalo, etc. The digitally rendered illustrations feature an idyllic landscape suffused with light and are the best part of the book. All of the angels depicted are small children. Unfortunately, the text consists of awkward rhyming couplets whose meaning is sometimes fuzzy. "I think that maybe it's heaven they see, /beyond what their wishes/could wish it to be." Also, while angels abound, there is no mention of God. Cynthia Rylant's Dog Heaven (1995) and Cat Heaven (1997, both Scholastic) are better choices, as they both address the issue without the sentimentality.--Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

"Tillman describes a heaven for animals that is a magical place." —School Library Journal

"Fans of Tillman's sentimental rhyming couplets, pretty pictures and relentlessly positive worldview will welcome this vision of a happy heaven populated by pampered pets, ethereal angels and friendly animals of all sorts . . . This is likely to be another best-seller to add to her list." —Kirkus Reviews

"Tillman has an uncanny knack for providing images of pure pleasure; perhaps because of its weightier theme, this is a particularly affecting addition to her library of titles." —Publisher's Weekly