Astrid (a girl) and Eli (a dog) have been best friends since the newborn Astrid first came home from the hospital. They enjoy birthdays and popcorn and playgrounds, and dream of spaghetti and meatballs in a fancy restaurant. As Eli ages, Astrid creates a bucket list for the pair to acquit together: going for a bike ride, checking books out of the library, attending a movie show (more popcorn!), and sleeping under the stars. In the end, though, they both come to understand that it is the togetherness that really matters. Being with Astrid was the only thing left on Elis bucket list. It was the only thing that had ever been on Elis bucket list. Quirky and delightful on its surface, this poignant picture book opens the door to deeper considerations of eventual loss. A tender tension between the authors ebullient text and her illustrator sisters touching acrylic paintings--particularly the exquisite portrayals of the two protagonists--delicately suggests the inevitable without any overt occurrence. The framed photos on the living-room walls and the apparent subject matter of the pairs library books (theyre all about dogs) communicate even more about the special relationship between a child and a dog, and the precious value of taking care of the ones you love. thom barthelmess (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

K-Gr 2-This is a tale about a girl named Astrid and her big, shaggy, faithful white dog, Eli. It begins, "When Astrid came home from the hospital, Eli was there waiting. He was Astrid's first friend." Readers follow along as the girl and her dog play and grow together. But as Astrid matures, she notices that Eli cannot always keep up. When Astrid turns six, Eli starts to walk more slowly, which prompts the girl to make a bucket list of all the things they should do together before Eli gets too old. Astrid reuses a popcorn bucket she and Eli enjoyed together in the park for their literal and figurative bucket list. They check out dog books from the library, get special permission to go the movies (Lassie is on the marquee), and go to a restaurant for a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. "When their meals arrived, Astrid beamed. 'This is what you deserve for being the best friend in the world!'" The deep bond between the two is apparent from both the words and visuals. The full-page, warm, pastel-colored illustrations perfectly match the text and make the book all the more wonderful. This is a story about making the best of and appreciating the (brief) time we have with our loved ones-in this case our pets, though the title easily applies to grandparents and other aging loved ones. VERDICT A sweet and moving selection about the bond between a girl and her aging dog that avoids veering into sappy or maudlin territory. Spoiler alert: the dog does NOT die in the end (THANK YOU!).-Megan Kilgallen, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Who says bucket lists are just for humans? Not the Klise sisters (Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake), who gracefully trace a girl's growing awareness of her dog's impending death. When Astrid's parents bring their newborn daughter home from the hospital, Eli, a shaggy dog, is waiting patiently, her "first friend." M. Sarah Klise's evocative acrylics amplify the matter-of-fact narrative, showing Astrid growing taller and more active as Eli slows down. But Astrid takes a proactive approach to the inevitable, making a list, she tells Eli, "of all the things you should do before you get too old." Together, they visit the library and movie theater (Lassie is playing), sleep under the stars, and even enjoy spaghetti and meatballs in a restaurant, but readers will gradually come to understand that the way Astrid and Eli have been spending their time is less important than the fact that they've spent it together. The Klises close with an image of girl and dog watching the sunset over the water, a moment that-like the book as a whole-is both emotionally restrained and full of feeling. Ages 3-5. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.