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I'll Always Love You
A gentle and moving story about losing a friend, and the importance of always expressing your love.
Elfie the dachshund is the best dog anyone could every ask for. Every day, she and her owner explore and play together. And every night, her owner tells her "I'll always love you." Elfie owner grow up togther, but growing up can mean having to say goodbye to the ones you love. This tender story is a perfect way to make the topic of loss a little less scary for kids (and grownups).
Elfie the dachshund is the best dog anyone could every ask for. Every day, she and her owner explore and play together. And every night, her owner tells her "I'll always love you." Elfie owner grow up togther, but growing up can mean having to say goodbye to the ones you love. This tender story is a perfect way to make the topic of loss a little less scary for kids (and grownups).
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
July 9, 2022
As picture books that deal with deep sadness go, I'll Always Love You isn't the most crushing heartbreak out there. The Scar by Charlotte Moundlic and Harry & Hopper by Margaret Wild are far more heartrending, stories of such beautiful, pure power that it's hard to think of many better books ever to see print; in the case of Harry & Hopper, I'm not sure I can think of even one. Yet I'll Always Love You, while a few notches below some other similarly themed picture books on a scale of raw emotional intensity, is nonetheless a lovely, captivating, and powerfully moving story of the love a boy feels for the dog he grows up beside, and how recalling his unfailing expressions of that love soothes the boy's injured heart when the inexorability of time catches up to the dog and takes her from his life.
"This is a story about Elfie—the best dog in the whole world", the narrative begins, reflecting the way we usually feel about one as special to us as Elfie. Elfie and her boy were young together for a time, playing make-believe and romping indoors and out, blowing out candles to commemorate birthday anniversaries and snuggling together to drift dreamily away on lazy afternoons. Elfie may have been the family dog, but everyone knew she really belonged to her boy, and the two of them belonged together; they just did. There was no need to figure out how or why the pieces fit together perfectly as they did, just a mandate to enjoy the fit while it lasted, for as long as the fickleness of time agreed to keep boy and dog together and happy. Such closeness rarely endures as long as we expect, and never as long as we desire. For what marker short of eternity could possibly fulfill our need for a loved one?
Old age catches up to Elfie long before her boy even reaches adolescence. A little rounder, a lot slower, and much creakier in the joints than when she was a puppy, Elfie's downhill slide steadily lessens the enjoyment of favorite activities she has long shared with her boy. As Elfie nears the end and her loyal young owner has to carry her up the stairs so she can sleep with him, or pull her in an outsized little red wagon so they can go places together, the only family member who has no reason ever for regret in his treatment of Elfie is her boy, who never hesitated to put into words exactly how he felt about his dear friend, reminding her on a nightly basis that he loves her and always will. The rest of the family felt the same, but they weren't demonstrative of it in the same way Elfie's boy was, night in and night out. When at last the curtain draws closed upon a dog at peaceful slumber slipping away painlessly into forever, the final parting of little hands from warm, loving paws excruciatingly reluctant no matter how necessary, the boy finds it difficult to comprehend that the frisky, happy, affectionate puppy he adored since infancy is about to be lowered into the lifeless ground. Yet even through the prism of grief, distorting and redirecting intense thoughts and emotions as it is wont to do, the boy recalls his nightly affirmation to Elfie of how he felt about her: "I'll always love you." Elfie never went a moment of her life with any doubt that she was loved by the boy she belonged to, and the surety of that awareness is a surprisingly effective comfort during the sorrow of their parting. Life goes on for a boy still several years from becoming a teen; someday he may even select a new pet to frolic with and keep him company in times good and bad, and he knows Elfie wouldn't mind. But no matter what kind of pet it might be, the boy won't forget to speak his feelings to it every night, as he did for Elfie, saying, "I'll always love you." And he will never regret saying those words.
The loss of a loved one is so profoundly felt and has such a damaging impact, it's hard to think straight when it happens. Love can end quickly and shockingly, with no hint of the devastation about to inflict itself on one's life. What feels certain to be an intimacy that will last for years can disappear in an instant, before we have time to assess the way we treated the one we loved and decide if we were as good to them as they deserved. Did we open our heart and let them know in no uncertain terms that we loved them, that our life wouldn't have been as good without them? Did we make sure to express our feelings for them even if vocal displays of affection aren't in our DNA, because we knew it would be a tragedy if ever they forgot how deeply we cared for them? Elfie's boy doesn't have to wonder if his dog knew he loved her, and that's an irreplaceable comfort during one's time of greatest grieving. We never know how long we'll have to wrap our loved one in a big, tight hug and whisper in his or her ear, "I'll always love you." The moments we decline to take advantage of are like gifts tucked back under the Christmas tree for later years, but who knows when the tree itself will be discarded? I'll Always Love You is an unforgettable reminder that the lifetime we sometimes envision as an eternity falls far short of that, and there's nothing more important to do in the time that's left than remind our own dogs and boys that we love them with all our hearts, and always will. I, myself, did so just tonight.
Hans Wilhelm uses simple words to form big emotional realities in I'll Always Love You. We get vivid splashes of every color on the palette of human feelings in this book, which focuses as much time on the boy's happy days with young Elfie as it does on the somber yet hopeful conclusion to her life as an old dog. This isn't a story that will leave one's thoughts anytime soon after reading; the emotion stings quite a bit, and the book's message is imperative, and discomfiting in a positive way for those who aren't careful to clearly express their love as often as they should. For individuals who find themselves in that camp, I hope you'll regard I'll Always Love You as a life-changing gift, as it is for us all. I love this book, and I'm giving it three and a half stars. We're lucky to have it.
"This is a story about Elfie—the best dog in the whole world", the narrative begins, reflecting the way we usually feel about one as special to us as Elfie. Elfie and her boy were young together for a time, playing make-believe and romping indoors and out, blowing out candles to commemorate birthday anniversaries and snuggling together to drift dreamily away on lazy afternoons. Elfie may have been the family dog, but everyone knew she really belonged to her boy, and the two of them belonged together; they just did. There was no need to figure out how or why the pieces fit together perfectly as they did, just a mandate to enjoy the fit while it lasted, for as long as the fickleness of time agreed to keep boy and dog together and happy. Such closeness rarely endures as long as we expect, and never as long as we desire. For what marker short of eternity could possibly fulfill our need for a loved one?
Old age catches up to Elfie long before her boy even reaches adolescence. A little rounder, a lot slower, and much creakier in the joints than when she was a puppy, Elfie's downhill slide steadily lessens the enjoyment of favorite activities she has long shared with her boy. As Elfie nears the end and her loyal young owner has to carry her up the stairs so she can sleep with him, or pull her in an outsized little red wagon so they can go places together, the only family member who has no reason ever for regret in his treatment of Elfie is her boy, who never hesitated to put into words exactly how he felt about his dear friend, reminding her on a nightly basis that he loves her and always will. The rest of the family felt the same, but they weren't demonstrative of it in the same way Elfie's boy was, night in and night out. When at last the curtain draws closed upon a dog at peaceful slumber slipping away painlessly into forever, the final parting of little hands from warm, loving paws excruciatingly reluctant no matter how necessary, the boy finds it difficult to comprehend that the frisky, happy, affectionate puppy he adored since infancy is about to be lowered into the lifeless ground. Yet even through the prism of grief, distorting and redirecting intense thoughts and emotions as it is wont to do, the boy recalls his nightly affirmation to Elfie of how he felt about her: "I'll always love you." Elfie never went a moment of her life with any doubt that she was loved by the boy she belonged to, and the surety of that awareness is a surprisingly effective comfort during the sorrow of their parting. Life goes on for a boy still several years from becoming a teen; someday he may even select a new pet to frolic with and keep him company in times good and bad, and he knows Elfie wouldn't mind. But no matter what kind of pet it might be, the boy won't forget to speak his feelings to it every night, as he did for Elfie, saying, "I'll always love you." And he will never regret saying those words.
The loss of a loved one is so profoundly felt and has such a damaging impact, it's hard to think straight when it happens. Love can end quickly and shockingly, with no hint of the devastation about to inflict itself on one's life. What feels certain to be an intimacy that will last for years can disappear in an instant, before we have time to assess the way we treated the one we loved and decide if we were as good to them as they deserved. Did we open our heart and let them know in no uncertain terms that we loved them, that our life wouldn't have been as good without them? Did we make sure to express our feelings for them even if vocal displays of affection aren't in our DNA, because we knew it would be a tragedy if ever they forgot how deeply we cared for them? Elfie's boy doesn't have to wonder if his dog knew he loved her, and that's an irreplaceable comfort during one's time of greatest grieving. We never know how long we'll have to wrap our loved one in a big, tight hug and whisper in his or her ear, "I'll always love you." The moments we decline to take advantage of are like gifts tucked back under the Christmas tree for later years, but who knows when the tree itself will be discarded? I'll Always Love You is an unforgettable reminder that the lifetime we sometimes envision as an eternity falls far short of that, and there's nothing more important to do in the time that's left than remind our own dogs and boys that we love them with all our hearts, and always will. I, myself, did so just tonight.
Hans Wilhelm uses simple words to form big emotional realities in I'll Always Love You. We get vivid splashes of every color on the palette of human feelings in this book, which focuses as much time on the boy's happy days with young Elfie as it does on the somber yet hopeful conclusion to her life as an old dog. This isn't a story that will leave one's thoughts anytime soon after reading; the emotion stings quite a bit, and the book's message is imperative, and discomfiting in a positive way for those who aren't careful to clearly express their love as often as they should. For individuals who find themselves in that camp, I hope you'll regard I'll Always Love You as a life-changing gift, as it is for us all. I love this book, and I'm giving it three and a half stars. We're lucky to have it.
November 28, 2015
This book is so sad but it is a realistic story about what some children go through with their dogs. These dogs are not just animals but they are family. A young boy and his dog Elfie do everything together they have always been by each others sides. But one thing is Elfie grew old and bigger then his boy and as time passed it began to get harder for Elfie. When he passed everyone was sad because they all loved Elfie and would miss him very much and no one would be able to replace him. This is a great book about feelings and when a child has a loss of a family pet. This will show them that everything will be ok and that even when they are gone you can still love them and when the time is right you can open your heart for another one. The art in this book is is very cute it shows the life of a puppy as it goes through life.
March 29, 2020
A recent discussion in the Children's Books group I moderate has reminded me of this book, which - together with Judith Viorst's
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
- is one of my top recommendations for those looking for books to help a child begin the grieving process for the loss of a pet.
"This is a story about Elfie - the best dog in the whole world" begins Hans Wilhelm's I'll Always Love You, in which a young boy and his beloved dachshund grow up together, only to be parted when Elfie grows old and dies. As he and his family begin to grieve, the narrator is comforted by the many wonderful adventures he had with Elfie, and by the fact that every day he told her: "I'll always love you."
With its simple but heartfelt narrative, and expressive (and often humorous) watercolor illustrations, this little picture book offers a sensitive portrayal of a child's love for his animal companion, and his grief at her loss. Young readers who are facing a similar situation will find comfort in Wilhelm's gentle story. Highly recommended.
"This is a story about Elfie - the best dog in the whole world" begins Hans Wilhelm's I'll Always Love You, in which a young boy and his beloved dachshund grow up together, only to be parted when Elfie grows old and dies. As he and his family begin to grieve, the narrator is comforted by the many wonderful adventures he had with Elfie, and by the fact that every day he told her: "I'll always love you."
With its simple but heartfelt narrative, and expressive (and often humorous) watercolor illustrations, this little picture book offers a sensitive portrayal of a child's love for his animal companion, and his grief at her loss. Young readers who are facing a similar situation will find comfort in Wilhelm's gentle story. Highly recommended.
January 24, 2008
We played this one out live action for the rapt audience that parents often are (uh huh) and my sister, being the little hawk-eyed harbinger that she was, insisted on being the dead dog. I buried her in a yellow laundry basket and wailed "I'll always love youuuu!"...probably while wearing a cape. I pretty much assumed that a cape was THE little black dress of costumes and deployed it with abandon during drama sessions.
February 28, 2018
This is the sweetest and saddest little story, and another of my childhood books, which is still in my collection. This story deals with love and loss, and draws you in emotionally as you follow a little boy's experience with his beloved pet dog... it beautifully depicts a sad fact of life, in a very touching way... and may make you shed a tear. The illustrations are absolutely adorable.
June 17, 2022
Cute book. Good one to read to a child, especially if they just got a dog, to explain the whole process of life, playing, getting in trouble, and eventually passing away. (Nice when an old dog just passes away seemingly peacefully). Nice illustrations, maybe not OMG great, but definitely good. A small book, but still captures a nice story.
March 12, 2016
Oh no, a sad story about a blonde long dog. Time to cry in the stacks again.
But seriously this is a perfect picture book for kids experiencing the loss of a beloved pet. My favorite part is that the boy soothes his grief by reminding himself how much he loved his dog and that he told her every night. He's not told that "time heals all wounds" or that his sweet pup is in doggie heaven. Also he doesn't rush the grieving process by getting another pet at the end.
But seriously this is a perfect picture book for kids experiencing the loss of a beloved pet. My favorite part is that the boy soothes his grief by reminding himself how much he loved his dog and that he told her every night. He's not told that "time heals all wounds" or that his sweet pup is in doggie heaven. Also he doesn't rush the grieving process by getting another pet at the end.
August 22, 2018
This is a sad book, but with great meaning behind it. A boy and a dog grow up together, and as they start to get older the dog eventually passes away. The little boy always made it a point to tell the dog he loved him. I think it is a good read for younger children. It teaches them about loss of something you loved, but yet the book ends on a hopeful note. This book shows that loss happens and how to cope with that loss, and that moving on is okay.
September 2, 2012
PB 15: This book is really sad. I remember reading it as a kid, and so I dreaded the ending because it is still sad as an adult. It is a good book to read to kids if they have a pet that passes away. It is beautifully written for such a sad/depressing topic and for kids to understand. The illustrations in the book are also beautiful.
November 7, 2017
Pero qué cuento tan bonito y tan triste...
-Lectura para el curso.
-Lectura para el curso.
November 16, 2021
Short, sad, and cute. The illustrations are very warm. From the start, you know that Elfie's going to die, so it's sad watching her and the boy grow older. The story reminded me of our dog, Jenny, and how much it hurt when she died.
What I really liked about this book was its message. Even though the dog died, the boy was able to at least find comfort in the fact that he had always told her he loved her, every day. It really made me think how much we take the people in our lives for granted and don't show them enough just how much we love them. It's a great reminder that a simple "I love you" can go a long way, both for you and for the person to whom you say it.
This is a children's book, one of the books I was just previewing before we hand them out to our students, but it was a very nice read.
What I really liked about this book was its message. Even though the dog died, the boy was able to at least find comfort in the fact that he had always told her he loved her, every day. It really made me think how much we take the people in our lives for granted and don't show them enough just how much we love them. It's a great reminder that a simple "I love you" can go a long way, both for you and for the person to whom you say it.
This is a children's book, one of the books I was just previewing before we hand them out to our students, but it was a very nice read.
October 8, 2022
Otro libro que me tuve que leer por la Universidad y que me tiene llorando 😭 Hace apenas unas semanas perdimos a Mia, era en realidad la perrita de mi hermana, pero a todos nos ha dado muy duro. Sentí cada palabra de este libro justo en el corazón.
January 26, 2024
lloro, tan simple pero tan bonito 😭
April 17, 2019
This water color book illastrations is an amazing book to read with young children. This sweet book is a great book to read during feelings week. The children can make a connection to the book about being happy with one another.
March 17, 2016
I'll Always Love You is an adorable story of a boy and his pet dachshund. The boy grows up with his dog and they do everything together. His family treats the dog kindly, but never straight out tells her that they love her. The boy is the only one who tells her that he'll always love her. As she gets older, she grows fatter and has difficulty walking up the stairs. The boy continues to take care of her and pack her up the stairs no matter how big she gets. This book shows the love and loyalty of a boy and his pet/ best friend. The ending is kind of sad, but I think this is a great family or self read for young readers. This would also be a good book for parents to teach their children about what happens when someone passes away. The lesson is to always tell and show people you love them because you never know when they will be gone and you never know when it will be too late to let them know. This book is also good for teaching about the emotion of regret.
June 14, 2018
After the death of our pet, I was looking for books that would help my child deal with the loss. This is a gentle book that shows a dog growing older and eventually dying (not traumatically). There is a pet funeral and the family is sad.
I liked how this book handled a sensitive subject realistically and that it did not point to getting a new pet right away as the solution to grieving. What I didn't entirely love is that the child in the book feels better knowing he told his dog "I'll always love you" every day. I thought this might make some kids feel guilty if they had not always been the perfect pet caretakers. Still would recommend to help open up conversation if you are dealing with this tough situation of pet loss.
I liked how this book handled a sensitive subject realistically and that it did not point to getting a new pet right away as the solution to grieving. What I didn't entirely love is that the child in the book feels better knowing he told his dog "I'll always love you" every day. I thought this might make some kids feel guilty if they had not always been the perfect pet caretakers. Still would recommend to help open up conversation if you are dealing with this tough situation of pet loss.
March 12, 2009
Author and Illustrator: Hans Wilhelm
Genre: Fiction Picture Book
Year Published: 1988
Reading Level: Ages 4-8; Early
Topic and Theme: Pet Death, Animals
Curricular Use: Individual Reading, Shared Reading, Read Aloud
Social: Sad, Loss, Coping
Text and Pictures: The pictures are simple and relate to each sentence in the book.
Summary: This book is about a close relationship between a dog, Elfie, and a little boy. The dog grew up with the little boy, and they did everything together. Every night before bed, the little boy would tell Elfie, I'll always love you. One morning when the boy woke up, he found out that Elfie had died that night.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book
Year Published: 1988
Reading Level: Ages 4-8; Early
Topic and Theme: Pet Death, Animals
Curricular Use: Individual Reading, Shared Reading, Read Aloud
Social: Sad, Loss, Coping
Text and Pictures: The pictures are simple and relate to each sentence in the book.
Summary: This book is about a close relationship between a dog, Elfie, and a little boy. The dog grew up with the little boy, and they did everything together. Every night before bed, the little boy would tell Elfie, I'll always love you. One morning when the boy woke up, he found out that Elfie had died that night.
December 5, 2017
This book follows a boy and his dog as they go through life together, until one day the dog doesn't wake up. This is a sad book that examines the concept of loss, but is good for a read-aloud, even though children do not really understand the concept of loss originally. Animals are lost more easily than humans for young children, and this is a good opener into the fact that living things do pass and shows children how to cope and move on. It has a hopeful ending, which allows for children to be more cheerful after a book with death.
Wilhelm, H. (1988, December 12). I’ll Always Love You. Decorah, IA: Dragonfly Books.
Wilhelm, H. (1988, December 12). I’ll Always Love You. Decorah, IA: Dragonfly Books.
September 27, 2011
A beautiful book to help a child who has lost a pet. Elfie the dog and the little boy who narrates the story have grown up together. Although Elfie is a family pet, she is really the narrator's dog, and every day ht tells her, "I'll always love you." When Elfie grows old and dies in her sleep, the family grieves and buries her in the back yard, but the boy finds comfort in knowing that he told her that he loved her. The softly colored illustrations show beautifully the bond between a child and a dog.
September 18, 2022
As a vet looking for books on pet loss and grieving this wasn't what I was looking for. There's a portion of the book where the pet is becoming obese and losing mobility as it gets older and the vet simply says "there's nothing we can do." It also highlights a story of a pet dying at home, while I'm sure is helpful for some children, is not often the kind of loss I'm trying to help parents and their kids through. Was nice that in the book the child doesn't immediately replace the pet with a new pet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2016
A sweet little book for when a child is dealing with the loss of a pet. Recently, 5 of our chickens were killed by a neighborhood dog. My children raised their chickens and helped care for them. These hens were our family. It's heartbreaking to see your child so upset and disturbed. Although this book is about a dog, my girls could relate to it. There was a illustration with a chicken at the very end. This book is good to have on hand. Losing animals is tough.
February 5, 2012
Well, can it be more blunt? The boy's dog dies and he's sad but decides that until he's ready for a new one, he'll give away his dog's supplies to friends who have dogs of their own. Sweet. We'll keep this one on file for when our senior dog dies and the boys are still young enough to need a book to help them understand.
November 16, 2018
Edad recomendada: 6 a 8 años.
Tema: Pérdida/muerte de una mascota.
El cuento narrado en primera persona por el niño, narra su relación con su perro desde pequeños, que el perro crece más deprisa que él y como poco a poco se va haciendo viejita y como la despiden, quedándole todos lo bonitos recuerdos del tiempo que pasó con ella. Es muy emotivo.
Tema: Pérdida/muerte de una mascota.
El cuento narrado en primera persona por el niño, narra su relación con su perro desde pequeños, que el perro crece más deprisa que él y como poco a poco se va haciendo viejita y como la despiden, quedándole todos lo bonitos recuerdos del tiempo que pasó con ella. Es muy emotivo.
November 27, 2018
Within the first couple of pages, you can sense this picture book is about time and progression - specifically about how quickly animals grow and how their lifetimes are often distinct from their human family's. The book makes it clear and explicit when child narrator's beloved dog dies, even showing the family burying the dog.
December 21, 2017
A tender story for helping a child cope with the death of a pet. The boy and his dog grow up together but the dog ages faster.
Love the reminder to always tell pets (and people) you love them every day.
Love the reminder to always tell pets (and people) you love them every day.
December 3, 2017
Aunque yo nunca he tenido una mascotas, tengo amigos que si han tenido estos compañeros de vida, por esto, está historia me parece muy real, habla del ciclo de la vida y del amor que puede haber entre un hombre su fiel compañero.
January 20, 2018
This book is different from others that speak about love. It teaches the concept of life and death at a young age. It's practical so children may be able to relate to it if they've experienced loss in their life time. Its a very mellow book with its soft brush strokes that give warmth and support.
February 21, 2018
I think one of the best ways to learn about loss of a loved one is by raising kids with animals. This book portrays the connection a child can make with an animal and the loss he felt when she passed. It made me cry.
March 9, 2008
This is a really good book about love and loss.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2008
A boy's dog grow older and dies. Very well done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews