PPBF – What Do You Do When Your Dog Grows Old?

Two senior dogs share our home and love. When I saw this soon-to-be-published Perfect Picture Book on Edelweiss Plus, I knew I had to review it and share it with you!

Title: What Do You Do When Your Dog Grows Old?

Written By: Jackie Short

Illustrated By: Lucy Pickett

Publisher/Date: Red Comet Press/March 2026

Suitable for Ages: 4-8 and beyond

Themes/Topics: death, dogs, pets, caring for senior pets, end-of-life, poetry

Opening:

What do you do when your dog grows old?

When their feet are tired and their pads are worn.

Brief Synopsis: A contemplation about senior dogs and the love between them and us.

Links to Resources:

·      Check out these tips and tricks for playing with a senior dog;

·      Do you have a pet? Describe it in words or pictures;

·      Read The Rainbow Bridge, an ode to dogs that have predeceased their family members.

Why I Like this Book:

With heartfelt lyrical language, debut author and dog lover Short shares the physical manifestations of dogs getting older, offers ideas to help support dogs in their twilight years, and offers perspective to help readers face the loss of their best friends.

I love that Short grounds us at the outset with the physical signs of canine old age, especially the observation that their “eyes are milky.” What dog owner hasn’t noted that clear sign of age in a beloved pet?

From there, Short offers suggestions on how we can make the lives of senior dogs more comfortable and continue to show them love. For love, after all, is the bond between canine and human: we love them, but they love us more. By ending the text with this focus on love, I think Short prepares readers, and herself, for the inevitable day when a beloved dog crosses the Rainbow Bridge.

Rather than focus on one dog and one owner throughout, Short and Pickett feature different dogs and people. This renders the text and illustrations more universal and enables readers to picture themselves and their dogs in the story, too. I especially appreciate that Pickett’s soft, watercolor illustrations are set against a white background which helps promote the universality of the experience.

For dog lovers of any age, What Do You Do When Your Dog Grows Old? is a perfect book to celebrate our bonds and ease the pain of an inevitable loss.

A Note about Craft:

As evident from the title, Short addresses the reader directly drawing “you” into the story.

This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!

Note: I reviewed a digital copy provided by the publisher on Edelweiss Plus.