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The Hole

Author Lindsay Bonilla

Illustrated by Brizida Magro

Hardcover

$18.99 US

Penguin Young Readers | Nancy Paulsen Books

8"W x 10"H (20.3 x 25.4 cm) | 20 oz (567 g) | 24 per carton

On sale Feb 04, 2025 | 32 Pages | 9780593529140

Age 4-8 years | Preschool - 3

Reading Level: Lexile AD480L | Fountas & Pinnell O

Sales rights: US, Canada, Open Mkt

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Children's Books > Children's Picture Books

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A powerful story perfect for opening up conversations about loss

What does it feel like to lose someone you love? For one little boy, it’s like he has a hole in his life. It’s in the bottom bunk, where his little brother, Matty, used to sleep, and it’s on his brother’s chair at dinner. It follows him everywhere until the day he decides to really explore it. Inside the hole he confronts his grief—the sadness, the anger, and the truth of how much he misses Matty. His friend is waiting when he climbs out, and when she asks, “Do you want to tell me about your brother?” he’s surprised to find that talking about Matty is a comfort—and helps fill his hole with good memories.

“A family deals with the loss of a child. ’Matty’s gone,’ and his parents and sibling (who narrates the story) are struggling with the feelings left behind, symbolized here as holes and depicted as scrawled, tight spirals in the middle of characters’ chests or on items that Matty once used. The protagonist is trailed everywhere by a hole. . . . With the support of a friend named Nora, the child descends into one of the holes and finds comfort in crying, shouting, and throwing clumps of dirt. Nora invites the narrator to talk more about Matty, and the tale ends with the realization that ‘I don’t hate that hole. Not anymore. Because I know I can always fill it with memories of him.’ This thought-provoking, poignant look at mourning never explicitly names death but makes concrete a euphemism that could be confusing to children while showing that love for a deceased family member always endures. . . . Striking collage illustrations. . . . A unique and hopeful exploration of grief.” —Kirkus Reviews

Lindsay Bonilla View titles by Lindsay Bonilla

Brizida Magro is an illustrator and educator based in Boulder, Colorado, who grew up in Portugal. She teaches illustration at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. Brizida is also the illustrator of Saturday at the Food Pantry by Diane O'Neill and Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Lee Donovan. She is passionate about rock climbing and wandering the world. She enjoys simplicity, wee characters, collecting vintage papers, and bringing stories to life. View titles by Brizida Magro

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