Father Wintz, a Franciscan friar, explores a question he has pondered for years. His thoughts first appeared in article form in St. Anthony Messenger magazine. Motivated by a large reader response and devotional study of St. Francis, he expanded the original material into book length. The question in the book's title "sounds like a naïve kid's question", Father Wintz said in an interview with Catholic News Service June 13, "but I think it fits in this broader context of the question of salvation for all creation."

The question in its simplicity and profundity evokes Blake's Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience. Both poet and priest speak of theological ideas with the wisdom of children. The thesis of the book is that God's plan for salvation includes all of creation. In ten chapters the author supports his thesis with evidence from Scripture, the works of St. Francis of Assisi and Judeo-Christian tradition.

Father Wintz builds his seminal concept chapter by chapter. The Genesis story includes the refrain, "and God saw it was good." All of creation, including animals, reflect God's goodness. The Garden of Eden ,where all creatures live in harmony, serves as a metaphor for a world reborn. God's concern for animals and their part in salvation is evident in the stories of Noah and Jonah.

In Psalms 104,148 and Daniel chapter three, all of creation are on pray full journey of praise to the creator. In the Canticle of Creatures, St. Francis addresses animals and the natural world as brother and sister. The saint's language accentuates the familial relationship of all creation. Father Wintz, a man of faith, concludes with the belief that all creation will be saved and paradise regained.

The book, not mired in theology, is readable and appeals to a general audience. It is, however, a tad repetitive. One wonders if the original form was a better fit.

For those of us who have watched as our beloved pets cross Rainbow Bridge, be consoled by Father Wintz's closure, "Yes, with heartfelt thanks to God's saving love for the whole family of creation, I will see my dog in heaven!"

(Wintz, Jack. Will I See My Dog in Heaven? Massachusetts : Paraclete Press. 2009. 153pp.)