Book: Under a Lemonade Sky - Pet Sympathy (Paperback)

To share your heart with a dog is one of the greatest blessings on Earth. For some of us, that dog is our child. For others, the greatest friend we will ever know. But for all of us, dogs are an endless well of unwavering, non-judgmental love.

And that’s why it’s so hard when we must say goodbye.

UNDER A LEMONADE SKY was born on the night author K.M. Messina's beautiful black German shepherd, Luna, passed away. As Kim wrote to cope with the greatest grief she'd ever known, Luna gifted her the title as a mystical flash in her mind that guided her fingers across the keyboard on the darkest day of her life. She hadn’t realized the significance of those words then, but Luna was trying to tell her to transform her death into something positive, something sweeter. What resulted was a poetic narrative in which two alternate realities interact: our earthly realm, where a young girl grieves the loss of her pet, and a mystical plane, where her beloved dog happily awaits her return in a fantastical land filled with fields, flowers, and food.

Grief is a unique, personal journey that follows no pattern or time scale. Although no words can erase the pain of losing an adored pet, this book may comfort you as you learn to navigate a world that suddenly looks and feels very different. At the very least, it will remind you that you are not alone. We will see them again. And while we wait for that day to come, it helps to imagine them eating ice cream amid towering blooms under a magical lemonade sky. 

Paperback, landscape, 8.5 x 11 inches.

Rhyming picture book. 

40 pages.

Stunning art by Nataliia Pavliuk.

Recommended ages: 8 through adult.*

*Although any age group will be drawn to the fanciful, brightly colored artwork and happy portrayal of the dog in the book, the story gently recognizes the grief felt by the girl left behind and explores themes suitable for older children, teens, and adults. The powerful ending may bring hope to those suffering from loss, when the girl, now much older, is reunited with her beloved dog in a heavenly realm under a lemonade sky. 

*This story would be an appropriate memorial gift for older children, teens, and adult pet parents who are grieving.