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There Was A Hole by Adam Lehraupt, Illustrated by Carrie O’Neill Published by Sleeping Bear Press (April 15, 2022) Lily has a hole. It eats her joy, makes her angry, and--no matter what Daddy does to try to help--it just keeps growing. So Lily retreats. But a friend lets her in on a secret (he has a hole too!) and shows her the best way to repair holes: spend time on friends, family, the things you love, yourself, and kindness. Those patches don't make the hole go away, but they help. A lyrical and age-appropriate story for learning to cope with grief and loss. |
Praise for There Was A Hole
"O'Neill's gentle illustrations add to the story's growing feeling of connection and hope, bringing both Lily's feelings and her patches to life."--Booklist Review, Starred
"An insightful portrayal of childhood loss and healing."--Kirkus Review
"O’Neill’s easy-to-read digital illustrations, with components of real-world textures, depict all the new patches Lily creates to cover the hole, including volunteering, reading with her dad, gardening, and playing with friends...Purposely nonspecific about the type of “hole” the main character feels, this story presents a means to open a dialogue with children about learning to notice and find words for painful feelings, as well as a lesson in the emotional support others can offer."--School Library Journal
“It’s all about how there’s a hole in this girl’s heart and her friend teaches her how to patch up the hole. It’s very, very sweet and timely and beautiful.”--Andrea Burns, featured on Good Morning America blog
Featured in When Someone Your Child Loves Dies: A Booklist from the Fred Rogers Institute
"With gentle illustrations and thoughtful text, this is an insightful look at grief and healing."--A Mighty Girl
"One of Lily’s peers expresses that he has a hole in his heart as well and tells her to make patches to cover her hole. She begins to do more activities that slowly fill the hole in her heart. This metaphor is a beautiful representation of how sadness doesn’t go away immediately, but takes time and hard work to slowly get better."
--Manhattan Book Review, 4.5/5 Stars
"It’s the story of a little girl who’s missing something, and she thinks she’s the only one. It’s a tale of loss and coping, and it’s pretty sweet."--Our Weekly Los Angeles, A Children's Book Gift Guide
"An important story about managing sadness, “There Was a Hole” is uplifting and lovely in every regard."--Reading Eagle
"Parents who wish to start the conversation about handling emotions with the very young will find There Was a Hole the perfect place to begin."--Midwest Book Review
"O'Neill's gentle illustrations add to the story's growing feeling of connection and hope, bringing both Lily's feelings and her patches to life."--Booklist Review, Starred
"An insightful portrayal of childhood loss and healing."--Kirkus Review
"O’Neill’s easy-to-read digital illustrations, with components of real-world textures, depict all the new patches Lily creates to cover the hole, including volunteering, reading with her dad, gardening, and playing with friends...Purposely nonspecific about the type of “hole” the main character feels, this story presents a means to open a dialogue with children about learning to notice and find words for painful feelings, as well as a lesson in the emotional support others can offer."--School Library Journal
“It’s all about how there’s a hole in this girl’s heart and her friend teaches her how to patch up the hole. It’s very, very sweet and timely and beautiful.”--Andrea Burns, featured on Good Morning America blog
Featured in When Someone Your Child Loves Dies: A Booklist from the Fred Rogers Institute
"With gentle illustrations and thoughtful text, this is an insightful look at grief and healing."--A Mighty Girl
"One of Lily’s peers expresses that he has a hole in his heart as well and tells her to make patches to cover her hole. She begins to do more activities that slowly fill the hole in her heart. This metaphor is a beautiful representation of how sadness doesn’t go away immediately, but takes time and hard work to slowly get better."
--Manhattan Book Review, 4.5/5 Stars
"It’s the story of a little girl who’s missing something, and she thinks she’s the only one. It’s a tale of loss and coping, and it’s pretty sweet."--Our Weekly Los Angeles, A Children's Book Gift Guide
"An important story about managing sadness, “There Was a Hole” is uplifting and lovely in every regard."--Reading Eagle
"Parents who wish to start the conversation about handling emotions with the very young will find There Was a Hole the perfect place to begin."--Midwest Book Review
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Our Shed: A Father-Daughter Building Story
by Robert Broder, Illustrated by Carrie O'Neill Published by Little Bigfoot (May 4, 2021) A sweet, nostalgic father-daughter story, Our Shed celebrates DIY families as well as the unique creativity and spontaneity of each individual child. This lovely story is about a father teaching his daughter how to build a backyard shed for storing the necessities of family life--a lawn mower, sprinkler, sleds, kid toys. For each practical element the dad brings to the project, his daughter adds her own imaginative creative spin. In the end, they are both happy with their collaboration. And, just as dad passes building skills on to his daughter, so does his daughter eventually pass those skills on to her own son when they fix up the peeling shed at the end of the story. Kids love tools, building things, and spending time with parents. This story hits all those points with love and humor. |
Praise for Our Shed: A Father-Daughter Building Story
"Colorful, playfully detailed illustrations"--Bank Street College of Education, The Best Children's Books of the Year 2022 Edition
“O’Neill’s illustrations keep the focus on the pair and the work they do both building and bonding, the imaginative scenes just as colorful as reality but with the addition of white chalk–outlined figures...This dad is a welcome role model for father figures everywhere.”--Kirkus Review, starred
"For libraries looking for a warm story of a father-daughter team working on a building project together, this is a good choice."
--School Library Journal
"O’Neill adds dynamic dot-eyed humans in a gentle color palette that features a recurring pink dragon motif.…this sweet parent-child story effectively celebrates hands-on intergenerational collaboration.”--Publishers Weekly
“This sweet, nostalgic father-daughter story celebrates DIY families as well as the unique creativity and spontaneity of each individual child. Parents will smile at the imaginative touches and occasional pretend-play breaks that crop up during the building, while kids will love the loving dad who not only takes time to be a daddy-dragon, but also to show his daughter how to choose materials and how to check that every board is level and straight. It's a charming depiction of a father-daughter bond that grows along with their building project."--The Mighty Girl
"The illustrations showcase the father-daughter relationship, changing seasons, and passage of time. The story ends with the father, daughter, and her son repainting the shed. I am always a fan of girls practicing different life skills, so it was great to see a story about a father and daughter building together, and that it was a fun and memorable experience. This is such a special book with a lesson that can be carried on for generations to come. Endearing, special, and whimsical."
--San Francisco Book Review