Adrian Raeside's The Rainbow Bridge

THE RAINBOW BRIDGE -A visit to Pet Paradise

By Adrian Raeside

Anyone who has ever lost a pet will be comforted by this heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog

Young Rick and his dog Koko are inseparable. They swim together in the swimming hole, race each other through the fields, play fetch and wrestle. As time passes, Koko gets old – his health slowly declines, until just before Christmas, he passes away.

Seven-year-old Rick is devastated. The house seems cold and empty and even the lights on the Christmas tree no longer sparkle. The night before Christmas, Buster, a flatulent, but well-intentioned messenger dog appears at Rick’s bedside and flies him to the Rainbow Bridge.

Here Rick joins Koko, who shows him a paradise for pets. Cats burrow through fields of catnip, no couch is off-limits and frisbees sail eternally. At the Rainbow bridge, deceased pets of all kinds frolic happily while waiting to be reunited with their human companions.

Although Rick desperately wants to stay with Koko at the Rainbow Bridge, it is not his time to be there and he returns home – to a wonderful surprise.

Adrian Raeside captures the heartbreak of loss while offering a positive vision of acceptance and new adventures. Accompanied by his marvelous illustrations which bring a gentle humour to the story, The Rainbow Bridge captures the special and unique bond between humans and their pets.

The Rainbow Bridge will not only resonate with children, but with pet lovers of all ages. For a sneak peek go here

Available from bookstores or Harbour Publishing this April!

Remembering an old dog friend

When they were just pups, Koko and Buster were rescued by us. Buster was re-adopted by my aunt, wildlife artist Patricia Wright and when she was no longer able to care for him, Buster trotted over to the family of the publisher of the newspaper I work for. He had a wonderful life and lived it to the full, up until the last week of his life. At the age of 14, and just shy of his 15th birthday, Buster suffered terrible seizures and was in great pain. There was no alternative but to put him to sleep. It was a sad day for everyone, but I’ve always felt that it’s not the length of a dog’s life that is important. It’s the quality of their lives – and Buster certainly had a quality life.

Rest in peace, old boy.