Submitted by: Erika W. and Audrey W.
My husband’s aunt gave City Dog, Country Frog to our daughter Audrey on her first birthday. Audrey has always been an animal lover; in fact, our whole family fell in love with this book before we even opened it, because the dog on the cover (“City Dog”) happens to look exactly like our family dog, Gonzo, who we lost last year.
This book is even more meaningful to our family now because the story touches on the serious and often difficult topic of death, and the subsequent mourning of a lost loved one. Having recently lost our family pet, this book has helped show our daughter the importance and power of friendship, which is a reminder even we as adults can use from time to time.
The message, writing, and overall story are sweet and simple, but relatable. While the book’s deeper meaning is likely lost on younger children, they will nevertheless enjoy the story and illustrations. Older children, who may be dealing with a loss, will hopefully be comforted by the sweet characters and happy ending. And for parents who find themselves reading the same children’s books over and over again, it’s simply a nice change from the rhymes and fluff that are incorporated into so many other books.
Names: Erika W., stay-at-home mom
Audrey W., preschooler, 3-years-old
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
For the 2014 RED Day (renew, energize, donate) community service project, Keller Williams Realty International partnered with BookSpring. This blog is a part of a “blog-a-thon”, by KW volunteers, to create new content that shares the stories of book-lovers and their favorite books.
Here’s how you can help: VOLUNTEER, DONATE, and engage through FACEBOOK AND TWITTER!
