Are There Hot Dogs in Heaven?

Four-year-old Kelly recently lost her dad. She confronts mom one day, wondering why her mom told her he's in Heaven, but her friends told her he's dead. Mom does her best to explain that Daddy's body is gone, but she believes his spirit is in Heaven. Kelly wants to know if Daddy can eat hot dogs in Heaven, and if she can go to Heaven to eat hot dogs with him, because that was their favorite food. Kelly and her mom move throughout the day's events-laundry, picking flowers in the garden, making hot dogs for lunch, having lemonade on the porch, and going to bed -while they discuss the concept of death and memory, with Mom explaining that Kelly can always find her dad in her memories and in her heart. Dr. Barry addresses a topic that will deeply resonate with families of young children who have lost parents, relatives, and other special people in their lives.

About the Author :
Kathleen is a retired licensed psychotherapist and expert on grief. She has published a variety of writings about women, grief, and loss on her website, www.whispersofwisdom.com. "Are There Hot Dogs in Heaven?" is based on Dr. Barry's personal experience of losing her father when she was four years old. Kathleen A. Barry, PhDwww.kathleenabarry.com Bill Hart grew up in a family of artists and scientists and was "illustrating" long before he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in graphic design, cum laude. He has always enjoyed the challenge of bringing the imagined and unreal to life. As a child that was usually planes, trains, rockets, robots and dinosaurs. As an adult that became actual planes, trains, rockets, robots and dinosaurs in his professional work as a commercial artist and toy designer for multiple promotional agencies since 2000. Bill first began illustrating children's books when a longtime friend and colleague approached him with an idea that became a book, "Gabby the Green Grape." After "Are There Hot Dogs in Heaven?," Bill plans a sequel to "Gabby the Green Grape" "Pinot Pete and his Pup Pip Go to Town."

Review :
From Kirkus Reviews: "In Barry's debut picture book, a mother talks to her daughter about death and loss. "Mommy, where is heaven?" a young girl asks her mother; later, she says, "You told me Daddy is in heaven...but my friends told me he's dead. What does that mean?" So begins a somber but ultimately uplifting conversation about the meaning of death and how to cope with it. The titular question, "Are there hot dogs in heaven?" expresses the child's anxiety about her father's state after death. Is he happy? Can she visit him? Mother and daughter share recollections as a way to cope with his absence. "Yes, that was a very special time. And it's both happy and sad to remember." Barry tackles the issues of grief head-on; the mother answers her daughter's questions directly and without resorting to platitudes using simple, conversational language. Hart's illustrations are realistic but slightly whitewashed, as if death has leached some color from the mother and daughter's world (or alternatively, the father's heavenly essence is permeating through from the afterlife). The mother has a peach complexion and dark, curly hair, and the daughter is freckled. They live in a racially diverse neighborhood in a large, neat house whose gardens (along with a Collie) evoke calmness and composure. Lovely touches of illustration include birds flying in the distance, and the astute juxtaposition of picture and text. For example, in the two-page garden spread, on the verso page the mother asks, "Remember when your turtle, Lenny, died and we buried him in the garden?" Then, on the recto page, she suggests, "Let's put this flower by Lenny's grave." A round stone marked "Lenny" can be seen unobtrusively in the background, yet near enough to the words to draw a young reader's attention. The flower itself is lavender in color-a shade that recurs throughout the book and adds to its bittersweet vibe. A direct, deeply heartfelt approach to a difficult topic." "This unforgettable story affirms for all of us how the deep psyche's creative power can repair the torn fabric of our lives, often with grace and humor. I would wish that every adult and child could read it." -Dianne Skafte, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute