The Heaven of Animals

June 30, 2014
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.

July 15, 2014
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 heaven is a decidedly pastoral place, from the fog-shrouded lake on one of the opening double-page spreads to a field of sunflowers and a grassy meadow. A sandy beach, deep blue lake and wildly colored savannah are among the other settings, all of which serve to add variety and visual interest. Angels, mostly children and overwhelmingly white, are sprinkled about, playing with dogs, petting kittens and patting horses as well as running, dancing and paddling a bright blue canoe. The digitally created artwork verges on photorealism in some instances, while other vignettes have a gauzy look. The text is straightforward, with a strong rhythm from the opening couplet to the final reassurance: "But when you meet your friends again, / they'll see you as they saw you then. / And you'll find they always knew / how much they were loved... / and how much they loved you." Accompanied by the depiction of a joyous reunion between a boy and his dog, the final two pages may well be the most affecting part of the whole.For Tillman, predictability and preciosity have been profitable, and this is likely to be another best-seller to add to her list. (Picture book. 4-7)

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August 1, 2014

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

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