GLEN HEAD, N.Y., March 13, 2009 — Death is a painful concept for a young child to understand, and experiencing the death of a loved one can leave a child feeling confused, helpless and alone. The new book by David K. Meagher, Ed.D., C.T., "Zach and His Dog: A Story of Bonding, Love, and Loss for Children and Adults to Share Together" (published by AuthorHouse), uses a story about the death of a boy's beloved dog as an opportunity for interaction between a child and an adult to assist the child in learning to deal with loss. The book is appropriate for children aged 6 – 9.
Zach wants a puppy very much and is excited when his mom and dad give him one for his birthday. He loves learning how to care for his new best friend, Freckles. He trains him to fetch, sit, lie down, and even to bark on command. The boy and his dog share many adventures, including a scary incident at the park where Freckles shows his bravery by protecting Zach from a group of big boys. Later, Zach witnesses Freckles pull his leash out of Zach's mother's hand and run in front of an oncoming car. Freckle's death devastates Zach, and his parents do their best to comfort him.
Meagher intends "Zach and His Dog" to be more than entertainment for young readers. He wrote it to be read one chapter at a time with a caring adult who will discuss with the child the set of questions included at the end of each chapter. "Should Zach tell his feelings to anyone? If he should, who should he tell?" And later in the story, "If some bullies were teasing you like they did Zach, what do you think you would do? What could Zach have done differently?"
Zach's reaction to the situations in the story and the accompanying questions will inspire children to think about ways of coping with life's challenges, including death of a loved one, and to reflect on how to communicate their feelings. The questions invite discussion of alternative ways to deal with other types of childhood situations, including scary and confusing ones.
Meagher creates a safe, supportive environment for a child to cope with his or her grief and sets up a framework for positive channels of communication between the child and caring adults. "Zach and His Dog" is written to be used as an educational tool and is appropriate for use in therapeutic settings to help young children cope with their feelings about this complex subject.
Illustrations are abundant throughout "Zach and His Dog" so that it can be used as a read-aloud picture book for non-readers as well as a stand-alone chapter book for young readers.
About the author: David K. Meagher, Ed.D., C.T., is a Professor Emeritus at Brooklyn College-CUNY and is the founder of the Thanatology [study of death and grief] Graduate Study Program at Brooklyn College-CUNY. He has served as a special consultant to the Office of the Medical Examiner of Suffolk County, N.Y., the Floating Hospital of New York, and the NYC Department of Education. Meagher received the 2004 Death Educator Award from the Association for Death Education and Counseling.
AuthorHouse is the premier book publisher for emerging, self-published authors. For more information, please visit www.authorhouse.com.
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