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The Rough Patch by Brian Lies

The Rough Patch

A Caldecott Honor Award Winner

Brian Lies

HarperCollins · Print & ebook · August 14, 2018

A Caldecott Honor Book An ALA Notable Book A breathtakingly beautiful and luminescent book that is pitch-perfect for anyone of any age who has experienced any type of loss or disappointment, from New York Times–bestselling picture book creator Brian Lies.

FriendshipDog StoriesLoss & Griefgirls
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Who it’s for
A clear-eyed picture book about grief, friendship, and the slow return of hope.
Themes
Friendship, Loss and grief, Renewal through nature
Genres
Loss & Grief, Dog Stories, Friendship

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About this book

A Caldecott Honor Book An ALA Notable Book A breathtakingly beautiful and luminescent book that is pitch-perfect for anyone of any age who has experienced any type of loss or disappointment, from New York Times–bestselling picture book creator Brian Lies. New York Times–bestselling author-illustrator Brian Lies has created a beautiful, accessible, and deeply personal story about friendship, loss, and renewal.

Continue reading

The Rough Patch was awarded a Caldecott Honor and features stunning paintings from the award-winning creator of Bats at the Beach. Evan and his dog do everything together, from eating ice cream to caring for their prize-winning garden, which grows big and beautiful. One day the unthinkable happens: Evan’s dog dies. Heartbroken, Evan destroys the garden and everything in it. The ground becomes overgrown with prickly weeds and thorns, and Evan embraces the chaos. But beauty grows in the darkest of places, and when a twisting vine turns into an immense pumpkin, Evan is drawn out of his isolation and back to the county fair, where friendships—old and new—await. A deeply hopeful and positive book, The Rough Patch was awarded a Caldecott Honor and is a story about love, loss, and hope, and the healing power of friendship and nature. “Weepy and wonderful.”—Wall Street Journal

Tender, Not Tidy

A clear-eyed picture book about grief, friendship, and the slow return of hope.

Come here for

  • A child’s heartbreak met with honesty and care
  • The healing pull of friendship and nature

Expect

  • An accessible story that makes room for difficult feelings
  • A hopeful, gentle reading experience

Where it sits

Loss & Grief91%
Friendship90%
Dog Stories68%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Dog Stories
  • Farm Animal Stories
  • Fox Stories
  • Pet Stories
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Loss & Grief
  • Big Feelings
  • Friendship
  • New Experiences
Authors
Brian Lies
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
August 14, 2018
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Friendship · Loss and grief · Renewal through nature
Reading lane
Dog Stories