Love Stays
by Janine PetracekPublish: Aug 19, 2026Children'sBook Overview
Some goodbyes we get to say. Some goodbyes never come.Emmy’s old dog, Biscuit, grows tired and dies while being held close by the family who loves him. Jonah’s young beagle, Scout, slips through an open gate and never comes home.
Two children. Two very different goodbyes. One gentle truth they discover together: different doors, the same missing.
Told through tender words and soft watercolor illustrations, Love Stays helps children understand the sadness, anger, uncertainty, and empty places that follow the loss of a beloved pet. It makes room for both kinds of grief: saying goodbye to a pet who has died and missing a pet who was lost and never found.
This comforting book includes:
• A gentle story about two children, two dogs, and two different kinds of goodbye
• Six keepsake memory pages for writing, drawing, and remembering
• Eight coloring pages for exploring big feelings and celebrating happy memories
• Reassuring language that welcomes children and families from many backgrounds
Perfect for children ages 4–10, Love Stays offers a soft place to remember, grieve, and begin healing.
Because hearts do not replace the ones we have lost. Hearts simply grow more rooms.
