How to Say Goodbye to a Beloved Pet Award-winning children’s book authors offer heartfelt guide to pet loss

Saying goodbye to a pet is hard for everyone, especially children. Nobody understands these challenges better than funeral industry professionals and acclaimed children’s book authors Katherine Pendergast and Lacie Brueckner. In Goodbye Bella: A Pet Loss Story (Kat’s Socks, June 27, 2023), the co-authors of In Loving Memory: A Child’s Journey to Understanding a Funeral and Starting the Grieving Process return with an essential, accessible guide to prepare, comprehend, and cope with the loss of a pet.

In this thoughtful picture book, a young girl named Charlotte says goodbye to her dog, Bella, in the most loving way she can think of and cherishes the last few days with her beloved pet. After Bella passes away, Charlotte and her family celebrate Bella’s life and do activities to honor and remember their sweet Bella.

The authors provide parents with an entry point for having difficult conversations with their children. By introducing children to the common stages of aging and decline, Pendergast and Brueckner give parents a resource to take the fear and uncertainty out of the grieving process.

“Working in the funeral industry inspired us to collaborate on In Loving Memory, and so many parents came to us asking for a pet version,” Brueckner said. “With my direct exposure to grieving families through my career and our personal experiences losing beloved pets, we knew we could produce a valuable resource.”

“We’ve both felt the pain of pet loss and seen how it impacted our own families,” Pendergast added. “This book is meant to make something difficult and strange feel more familiar. We want kids to feel comfortable with grief, and to understand that grief is a sign of love.”

Pick up your copy of Goodbye, Bella and learn more about Brueckner and Pendergast’s books, school visits, and boutique line of baby products by visiting katssocks.com. For more information, check out recent media features from North Dakota Today, Midwest Nest Magazine, and the Washington State Funeral Directors Association.

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