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). Illus. in full color. "In this gentle, moving story, Elfie, a dachshund, and her special boy progress happily through life together. One morning Elfie does not wake up. The family grieves and buries her. The watercolor illustrations, tender and warm in color and mood, suit the simple text perfectly."-- School Library Journal.    Illus. in full color. "In this gentle, moving story, Elfie, a dachshund, and her special boy progress happily through life together. One morning Elfie does not wake up. The family grieves and buries her. The watercolor illustrations, tender and warm in color and mood, suit the simple text perfectly."--"School Library Journal. With over 42 million books in print, Hans Wilhelm  is one of America's most popular author/illustrators of children's books, including I'll Always Love You for Random House Children's Books. Many of his 200 books have been translated into 20 languages and have become successful animated television series that are enjoyed by children all over the world. His books have won numerous international awards and prizes. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Mazza Museum of Art at University of Findlay, Ohio (the world's first and largest teaching museum devoted to literacy and the art of children's picture books), the Dodd Center at the University of Connecticut, the Kerlan Collection at University of Minnesota, and the de Grummond Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi.Hans was born in Bremen, Germany. He lived for many years in Africa before moving to America. He now lives in Weston, Connecticut, in an old farmhouse with his artist wife, Judy Henderson. Great product!