Actress Jessica Collins and producer Lisa Melamed have released a new children's book, 'Where’s Big Dog?', offering a tender and honest resource for families coping with the profound heartbreak of pet loss.

For many children, losing a pet represents their first significant encounter with grief. This new book addresses that sensitive moment by following a child attempting to locate their dog after its passing. The core message remains gentle yet firm: love endures even after a pet is gone.

The Genesis of a Comforting Story

Personal Loss Inspires Creation

The book, distributed by Simon & Schuster and published by Indigo River on March 26, originated from personal necessity. Collins conceived the idea during the difficult days following the loss of her family dog, Lucy.

Collins shared with LA Times Studios Pets that she struggled to find appropriate resources for her heartbroken young daughter, and frankly, for herself. “We set out to create the book I wish we’d had, one that gently holds space for grief while reminding children that love doesn’t disappear,” she stated.

The Title's Origin

Melamed revealed that the title itself stemmed from a question posed to Collins the day after Lucy died: “Where’s Big Dog?” This question echoed in the void left by Lucy until they began noticing reminders of her everywhere.

They started noticing familiar shapes in everyday objects like clouds, wood grain, and stone patterns. Melamed explained that as they exchanged photos, they realized they had discovered the emotional structure for the narrative. “We realized there actually was an answer to that question,” she noted, providing the framework for the entire book.

Crafting an Inclusive Narrative

Intentional Specificity and Openness

A key element making the story resonate is its combination of specific detail and broad openness. Collins and Melamed deliberately omitted naming the dog or using gender references in the text.

This choice was made so that children could more easily project their own pet onto the character. Collins emphasized this intention: “We were very intentional about leaving space for each child’s own experience.”

The Writing and Illustration Process

Melamed found the initial writing phase surprisingly simple, as they were primarily documenting their lived experience. The subsequent challenge involved shaping that experience into a book comforting to other families.

The visual aspect was crucial to the book's success. Collins and Melamed collaborated closely with illustrator Carla Naudé for nearly a year, focusing on achieving a “delicate” aesthetic. They aimed for quiet imagery and gentle watercolors that complemented the story's simplicity. Collins praised the result, saying, “Her drawings brought the words to life in the most beautiful way.”

Handling Grief Directly

The Uncluttered Truth of Loss

'Where’s Big Dog?' avoids offering simplistic solutions to grief. Instead, it confronts the reality of death directly, which is one of its most powerful features.

Melamed described the writing of the death scene as challenging but necessary to keep direct and uncluttered. She quoted the text: “'Then one afternoon, quickly and peacefully, Big Dog died. It was the worst day ever.'” Melamed stressed the need for simplicity: “We didn’t want any bells and whistles... It needed to be simple and clear.”

The Enduring Message of Love

Following the difficult moment of loss, the book pivots toward cherishing the memories that remain. This offers a valuable lesson for children who will inevitably love and lose again in life.

Collins clarified that the objective was never to “solve” grief, but to provide families with a different method of holding onto the experience. “We hope families come away understanding that grief and love can exist side by side,” she concluded, “and that over time, love can become the part that feels easier to hold on to.”