" Who says bucket lists are just for humans? Not the Klise sisters, who gracefully trace a girl's growing awareness of her dog's impending death. When Astrid's parents bring their newborn daughter home from the hospital, Eli, a shaggy dog, is waiting patiently, her "first friend." Evocative acrylics amplify the matter-of-fact narrative, showing Astrid growing taller and more active as Eli slows down. But Astrid takes a proactive approach to the inevitable, making a list, she tells Eli, "of all the things you should do before you get too old." Together, they visit the library and movie theater ( Lassie is playing), sleep under the stars, and even enjoy spaghetti and meatballs in a restaurant, but readers will gradually come to understand that the way Astrid and Eli have been spending their time is less important than the fact that they've spent it together. The Klises close with an image of girl and dog watching the sunset over the water, a moment that--like the book as a whole--is both emotionally restrained and full of feeling. "-- Publishers Weekly, starred review "Quirky and delightful on its surface, this poignant picture book opens the door to deeper considerations of eventual loss. A tender tension between the author's ebullient text and her illustrator sister's touching acrylic paintings--particularly the exquisite portrayals of the two protagonists--delicately suggests the inevitable without any overt occurrence.

The framed photos on the living-room walls and the apparent subject matter of the pair's library books (they're all about dogs) communicate even more about the special relationship between a child and a dog, and the precious value of taking care of the ones you love."-- The Horn Book, starred review "The full-page, warm, pastel-colored illustrations perfectly match the text and make the book all the more wonderful. This is a story about making the best of and appreciating the (brief) time we have with our loved ones --in this case our pets, though the title easily applies to grandparents and other aging loved ones. A sweet and moving selection about the bond between a girl and her aging dog that avoids veering into sappy or maudlin territory. Spoiler alert: the dog does NOT die in the end (THANK YOU!)."-- School Library Journal.