There Was a Hole by Adam Lehraupt illustrated by Carrie O'Neill - ADVISABLE

There Was a Hole by Adam Lehraupt, illustrated by Carrie O'Neill. PICTURE BOOK. Sleeping Bear Press, 2022. $18. 9781534111226 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO SOME 

Lily has a hole in the middle of her chest. Nothing helps it, and it just keeps growing. Then, Lily stops trying. She stops playing with her friends, and stops trying in school. That's when Thomas tells her he has a hole like hers too, but he has patches to help repair it. Soon Lily learns to make her own patches by going outside, playing with her dog, and spending time with friends and family. She doesn't want it to be fixed completely, but the patches help.

Includes tips at the end on "how to make a patch." This would make a great addition to an SEL collection. I liked that it showed big feelings of sadness and loss in a realistic, tangible way for kids. Lily does not have a mom in this story which could allude to divorce, the death of a parent, or a non-traditional family. Lily and her dad have dark hair. The other characters are ethnically diverse. 

Rachel, Elementary School Library