This gentle, rhyming picture book based on the author’s family follows a dog from his adoption by a two-man couple through his happy life and eventual passing from old age. The story begins as puppy Cuthbert leaves his mother to find a home with JJ and Matthew in Hollywood. Despite some furniture chewing, leash tugging, and even puking (the book’s term) in the car, the men love him, and let him sleep in their room at night to show him he’s not alone.
The years go by and we see Cuthbert joyfully playing (and getting into occasional mischief) with the couple. “The years went by, he grew, he ran,/a Rum Tum, regal, noble span,” we read—though that second line feels puzzling. Adults who read the backmatter may figure out that Cuthbert was a Brittany spaniel, and “span” is thus likely a shortening of “spaniel,” making “Rum Tum” a sort of adjectival endearment—but the line may confuse young readers (as well as adults who haven’t worked all of that out).
The years go on, and the men’s love for him grows, but “Then one day walks grew soft and slow./His naps grew longer—time to go.” It’s a poignant moment, to be sure, but the phrasing may make it seem as the decision for him to go came in a single day, rather than being a gradual slowing down. (Adults should understand, but young readers may interpret it more literally.)
After final kisses, and “one last snoot boop,” the book says, “all was right in their little group.” We see Cuthbert, eyes closed, in the men’s arms. The next page tells us, “But Rum the Mighty Tum runs still, through endless fields, over every hill,” as the illustrations show him doing just that. This may confuse young readers about whether Cuthbert had simply been sleeping but is still alive, gone someplace without the men. (The passage, does, however, help clarify that “Rum Tum” was a nickname, used here as a noun, though it still doesn’t explain exactly what it means.) The final page shows JJ and Matt together under a tree, still feeling Cuthbert’s love and knowing he’ll always be with them.
The soft and lovely watercolor illustrations by Xiao are a highlight of the book, helping to convey Cuthbert’s playful nature and the men’s love.
The sweet tale offers parents and other adults an entry into discussing pet death with their children (and backmatter on “How to Talk About Pet Death by Age” gives further assistance), but the some of the parts above may require additional clarification. Adults may also wish to supplement this with a book that shows children themselves experiencing a pet’s death.
Both JJ and Matthew are White.
