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Starred review from May 29, 2017
Who says bucket lists are just for humans? Not the Klise sisters (Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake), who gracefully trace a girl’s growing awareness of her dog’s impending death. When Astrid’s parents bring their newborn daughter home from the hospital, Eli, a shaggy dog, is waiting patiently, her “first friend.” M. Sarah Klise’s evocative acrylics amplify the matter-of-fact narrative, showing Astrid growing taller and more active as Eli slows down. But Astrid takes a proactive approach to the inevitable, making a list, she tells Eli, “of all the things you should do before you get too old.” Together, they visit the library and movie theater (Lassie is playing), sleep under the stars, and even enjoy spaghetti and meatballs in a restaurant, but readers will gradually come to understand that the way Astrid and Eli have been spending their time is less important than the fact that they’ve spent it together. The Klises close with an image of girl and dog watching the sunset over the water, a moment that—like the book as a whole—is both emotionally restrained and full of feeling. Ages 3–5.

June 1, 2017

K-Gr 2-This is a tale about a girl named Astrid and her big, shaggy, faithful white dog, Eli. It begins, "When Astrid came home from the hospital, Eli was there waiting. He was Astrid's first friend." Readers follow along as the girl and her dog play and grow together. But as Astrid matures, she notices that Eli cannot always keep up. When Astrid turns six, Eli starts to walk more slowly, which prompts the girl to make a bucket list of all the things they should do together before Eli gets too old. Astrid reuses a popcorn bucket she and Eli enjoyed together in the park for their literal and figurative bucket list. They check out dog books from the library, get special permission to go the movies (Lassie is on the marquee), and go to a restaurant for a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. "When their meals arrived, Astrid beamed.'This is what you deserve for being the best friend in the world!' " The deep bond between the two is apparent from both the words and visuals. The full-page, warm, pastel-colored illustrations perfectly match the text and make the book all the more wonderful. This is a story about making the best of and appreciating the (brief) time we have with our loved ones-in this case our pets, though the title easily applies to grandparents and other aging loved ones. VERDICT A sweet and moving selection about the bond between a girl and her aging dog that avoids veering into sappy or maudlin territory. Spoiler alert: the dog does NOT die in the end (THANK YOU!).-Megan Kilgallen, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn

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