An Open Heart: A Story about Moritz

This is a very special book in which wonder and kindness co-exist. Children and adults gain access to a whole world through the eyes, nose and gentle spirit of Moritz, the Bernese mountain dog. It is a world that adults, who have learned to be wary and expect disappointment, often cannot see very well. This book had a very surprising effect on me. As I was reading it I started to cry, right at the moment when Moritz's human, Barry, begins to cry in the narrative. I guess it was because Moritz's act of kindness communicates so directly and powerfully. Moritz is able to accept and appreciate whoever or whatever is around him. The illustrations are enchanting and clearly convey the love the illustrator, Hedwig Rappe-Flowers, had for this part of the world. I felt like I was along for the hike through the Bob Marshall wilderness when Moritz ushers us into a meadow filled with bear grass. I found myself lingering over the beautiful details of moss-covered rocks, a bristly marmot, and a soft-nosed fawn. How good it is for both children and adults to be with Moritz and his loving human Barry.

The illustrations are gorgeous and the story is about living peaceably with each other, how the dog is modeling that behavior with the wild things... A must-have for Berner-lovers and anyone looking for a NICE story for kids (or grown-ups!).

Several years ago, Barry Schieber and Moritz found each other in the mountains of Switzerland. Since then, they have shared a host of adventures that Schieber has transformed into a series of books filled with wisdom and inspiration. An Open Heart, the second book for children, highlights the notion of kindness and how it flows naturally from an open heart. The illustrations convey, with expressive, almost child-like wonder, both the spirit of the book and the beauty of the natural world.