Once there was a dog who loved to run and jump and play. She was the best friend Ben -- or any little boy -- could have. But as Ben got older, so did his dog. One morning, Ben's old dog didn't open her eyes or wag her tail. She didn't even move.

Charlotte Zolotow's remarkable insight into a universal experience -- the hurt and confusion a child feels after his first encounter with death -- is poignantly echoed by James Ransome's striking oil paintings.