ETIENNE!

Description:

Bronze Award, KIDS FIRST! Best 2009. After Richard's best and only friend, a dwarf hamster named Etienne, is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decides to take him on a bicycle road trip up the California coast to show him the world before he must put him to sleep.

KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments:

It's sort of a weird premise but it does make a point about a person's sensitive and how a pet fills a void in a person's life like nothing else. Richard is very sweet. As Richard embarks on his road trip, he runs into an interesting assortment of people, shares his woes with him about Etienne's disease and people respond to him positively. Beautiful locations, very pleasant sound track. Love the French music. And, Richard, who had no friends at the beginning, makes friends all along the way. It's actually quite philosophical in the way that the various characters explore their innermost thoughts. The ending has its own surprise that will bring a smile to your face.