The Hole

 
　　我和弟弟一起睡上下舖，以前我總是會翻過身，對著下鋪叫：「早安，貪睡鬼！」可是現在那裡只有他留下的空空的洞。同樣的洞也出現在他常常陪爸爸刮鬍子的小凳子上，還有他陪媽媽改作業的小椅子上。不管我去哪，這個洞都跟著我，我好討厭這個洞！
 
　　在學校裡，有些孩子看不到我的洞，有些人只是無視它，還有些同學跟我說他們也有自己的洞。我的朋友陪我盯著我的洞，底下又深又黑漆漆，我鼓起勇氣進到裡面，在那裡我釋放我的悲傷和怒氣，也大聲說出我的想念，我在那裏坐了好久好久……
 
　　如何說再見，是人生中困難的挑戰，而如何談「失去」，也總是難以開口。The Hole巧妙以柔和詩意的圖文，透過「心中的洞」為比喻，描繪面對悲傷的不同階段，從拒絕接受到情緒宣洩，引導孩子學著了解死亡，好好安放悲傷，找到紓解情緒的方式。

        'A powerful and profoundly moving picture book story about grief that is perfect for opening up conversations about loss with young readers
 
        A little boy has a big hole in his life after his brother’s death. It's in the bottom bunk where Matty used to sleep, and on Matty's chair at dinner.
 
        It follows him everywhere – and he hates it.
 
        But with the help of a friend, he manages to climb into the hole and confront his grief – the sadness, the anger, and the simple truth of how much he misses his brother. And when he finally feels ready to share stories about Matty again, he realises he can find some comfort in filling the hole with his favourite memories.
 
        This beautifully written and stunningly illustrated story uses a direct and thoughtful metaphor to explain the grieving process for young readers, and demonstrates the importance of friendship, support, and the power of talking about your feelings.
 

Lindsay Bonilla (Author)
Lindsay Bonilla is a professional storyteller and author whose previous picture books include The Storyteller, Parents’ Choice Award winner Polar Bear Island, I Love You with All of My Hearts and The Note Who Faced the Music. She lives with her husband, two wild and creative kids and her dog, Blitzen, in North Canton, Ohio.

Brizida Magro (Illustrator)
Brizida Magro is an illustrator based in Boulder, Colorado, where she teaches illustration at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. She also illustrated Gift & Box by Ellen Mayer, Saturday at the Food Pantry by Diane O'Neill and Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Lee Donovan. She loves to experiment with paper collage, gouache, china marker and digital art. Her childhood greatly influenced her current work, which blends together the innocence of vintage children’s art, the naiveté of folk art and frolicking adventures through the great outdoors. She enjoys simplicity, whimsy, wee characters and collecting vintage papers. She is passionate about rock climbing, wandering the world and bringing stories to life.