I love books from outside the United States. They rarely fail to remind me how our society tends to gloss over the ugly parts of life, when there is so much to gain from facing those ugly parts head on. Unfortunately, death is a frequently ignored, highly euphemized topic, but this brief story of a day of funeral play shines a light on a dark subject.

A group of friends finds a dead bee, which is just the beginning of a funeral business in which they bury several dead mice, a dead hare, a roadkill hedgehog, and a pet hamster. There is a moment that takes a potentially ominous turn, when they discuss burying ants alive (they'll die soon, anyway). But in the main, these friends conduct business with integrity, honoring each dead animal with poetry and tears. This lasts for the day, after which they find something new to do.

The illustrations are sweet and bright, and lend a cheerful atmosphere to the subject matter. Obviously, given the subject matter, it is important to know your reader before you suggest this one, but overall I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.