"A beautiful, gentle, rhyming exploration of grief and mourning." - Joe Coelho, Waterstones Children's LaureateThe Hare-Shaped Holeis a beautiful, touching, and poignant picture book which gently explores themes of grief and loss.Hertle and Bertle were always a pair, though one was a turtle and one was a hare. They were utterly buddies, and best friends forever and whenever you looked, you would find them together... until quite unexpectedly... the end came. When Hertle disappears for good, Bertle can only see a Hertle-shaped hole where his friend should be. He pleads with it, get angry with it, but the hole still won't bring his Hertle back. It seems like hope is lost... until Gerda the kindly bear finds him. She explains that he must fill the hole with his memories of Hertle. And slowly... Bertle begins to feel a little bit better.Powerful and moving text from children's author and poet John Dougherty is paired perfectly with warm illustrations from the wonderfully talented Thomas Docherty in a thoughtful and sensitive approach to this difficult topic. This movingpicture book can be used as part of agentle conversation aboutdeath and grief with children.

 

 

This book is aimed at children at US kindergarten-1st grade.

This book has been graded for interest at 3-5 years.

There are 32 pages in this book.

This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+).

This book was published in 2023 by Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd .

Thomas Docherty was born in New Zealand but has spent most of his life in England. His picture books have been shortlisted for a variety of awards, including the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal in 2009 for Little Boat. John Dougherty lives in Gloucestershire. A supply teacher with plenty of experience of classroom activities in primary education, he is also a singer-songwriter and has appeared on TV when his living room was designed in a Gothic style by Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen. He has also run the London Marathon to raise funds for a charity to help children in care.