“The Tenth Good Thing About Barney” by Judith Viorst, Illustrated by Erik Blegvad

“The Tenth Good Thing About Barney,” written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Erik Blegvad, teaches children about death by discussing the death of a pet cat. The story is told from the point of view of a male narrator who is about 6 or 7 years old.

The book starts out with a quick, incisive statement: “My cat Barney died last Friday.” The narrator then describes how Barney’s death has affected him. He cries all the time; he doesn’t want to watch television; and he has no interest in food – not even chocolate pudding.

That night, when his mom tucks him into bed, she suggests having a funeral for Barney. She tells the narrator to think of 10 good things about Barney so he can tell them at the funeral.

The narrator is intrigued by the idea. He thinks and thinks, but he can only come up with nine good things. At the funeral, attended by his family and his friend, Annie, he lists the nine things and says he will try to come up a 10th thing later on.

When he and Annie are having a snack in the kitchen, Annie tries to make the narrator feel better by telling him that Barney is in heaven surrounded by tuna and other cats. The narrator disagrees. He believes Barney is in the ground where they buried him.

As the narrator and Annie continue to argue, the narrator’s father comes into the kitchen. The children ask him to referee.

The father acknowledges that maybe Barney is in heaven. “But,” he adds, “we don’t know too much about heaven. We can’t be sure it’s there.”

After Annie has gone home, the narrator helps his father plant seeds. He asks how the seeds become flowers, and his father explains that things change in the ground. The narrator asks if Barney will change in the ground. The father replies that Barney will become part of the ground and help things grow.

Credit: cats.lovetoknow.com

As the narrator digests this information, he comes up with the 10th good thing about Barney. Barney is in the ground helping things to grow, he says. “That’s a pretty good job for a cat.”

“The Tenth Good Thing About Barney,” published in 1971, was one of the first books that talked about death at a level a child could understand. Unlike more recent books, it does not explain exactly what death is, but it does explore the disposition of the body and the social function of funerals.

It also explores different beliefs about what happens after death. Annie, for instance, is absolutely sure that Barney is in heaven. But the father validates his son’s point of view that maybe there is no heaven and Barney is just in the ground. Some parents find this section distressing, so if you want to raise your children with an unwavering belief in heaven, this may not be the right book for you.

Most families, though, will find valuable information to process with their children. And although “The Tenth Good Thing About Barney” deals with death, it is not at all depressing or morbid. Your little ones should enjoy it.