I Read Two "Hole" Books: 2 Picture Book Reviews, 2 Giveaways, and 1 Mini-Author Interview

I have received so many picture books from Sleeping Bear Press that I decided to double up on some of my reviews. I went through my pile and found these two with the word "Hole" in the title. They're as different as a fantasy/science book can be from a friendship/grief title. But as you'll see, either one would be an excellent addition to your home or school library.

THE BLACK HOLE DEBACLE

This book, written by Keri Claiborne Boyle and illustrated by Deborah Melmon is a fun combination of fantasy (the main character finds a black hole in her backpack) and science (two pages of back matter provide "real" information about black holes).

(By the way, both Keri and Deborah are not new to my blog. I reviewed Keri's fun book, Otis P. Oliver Protests, and showcased Deborah's art in Letters from My Tooth Fairy.)

The opening page spread shows what type of girl Jordie is,

as well as her main conflict.

That is only the beginning to Jordie's problems. On the bus the black hole snarfed down her water bottle, library books, and her friend's softball glove. At home, the black hole "gorged on her soccer ball, sheet shirt, unicorn underwear, and favorite pom-pom hat. It did, however, spit back the unicorn underwear."

The next thing she knew, her dog Neptune was gone!

She had no choice. She had to get her dog back. She opened her door, stepped to the black hole's edge, and leaped--finding herself in a world without sound so she couldn't even call her dog!

When her softball glove, homework, and dog floated by, she snatched them all up. And smart girl that she was, she also guessed that the black hole would spit out her underwear and..

she ended back at home. Unfortunately, her cosmic friend followed her home. Jodie knew "that black holes needed space. They were meant to graze galaxies and slurp stars, not dine on dogs." (Catch the pun and the alliteration?)

The next day at school Jordie found everything that had gone missing. Everything except her library books and magazines.

Jordie knew something that no other astronomer knew...

It turns out, black holes are ravenous readers. 

Awesome space/STEM book!

THERE WAS A HOLE

Now, get ready for a serious--yet beautiful--book about friendship, grief, and loss. Although the words are sparse, the marriage of Adam Lehrhaput's works and Carrie O'Neill's art, couldn't be better.

Here is the opening, poignant page.

Her daddy noticed that she was angry and tried to make her happy by giving her toys or taking her to fun places. But nothing fixed the hole. 

She ate lunch by herself and didn't join the kids in playing her favorite game. 

When Thomas asked what was wrong, Lily admitted that she had a hole. He shared his secret, "I have a hole, too."

Thomas shows her how to repair the hole by making patches representing the things Lily enjoyed and was grateful for. She made patches that represented her father, their home, and flowers. Gradually, 

"The patches didn't fix everything.

But they were a start."

The back matter addresses the idea of loss in kid-friendly language and gives directions on how to make a patch. As the author states, "I know, you don't have an actual hole. But that's okay. It's the process of making patches where the real magic happens."

AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Adam Lehrhaupt

Carol: To be honest, it took two readings for me to get the message. I kept thinking, why is there only a father in the illustrations? Then, I realized that the hole was the person who was missing in Lily's life. The "magic" of this book is how you and the illustrator show, but don't tell, the effects of loss in a person's life.

Adam: It was very important to me that I didn’t force a particular reason for the hole into the story. I wanted readers to be able to place themselves in Lily’s position no matter what caused their hole. Savvy readers needed a concrete reason for Lily and her father’s holes.  

Carol: I know authors and illustrators don’t usually communicate much during book creation. But the idea of your book depends on the illustrations showing your text. Did you include illustrator notes?

Adam: I had a few art notes in my original manuscript. The most important was at the end of the first line of text:

"Lily had a hole. (In her chest where her heart would be.)"

Carol: That was all?

Adam: Other than that, the other notes were more about explaining the patches and activities going on around Lily. I really try to give my illustrators as much freedom to express their talents as possible. So far, I’ve never been let down by the results. In fact, I am most often in love with the results.  

The treatment of the hole, the wonderful emotional subtext expressed by the dog, and the look and feel of the patches all came from my amazing illustrator. She really hit this out of the park. I couldn’t be more thrilled. 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

If you are interested in winning either of these two books, please leave me a comment with the title preference, your name, and your email address. If you are a teacher/librarian/home educator or decide to follow my blog, I'll put your name in twice. If you prefer to contact me through email, click here. U.S. addresses only. The giveaway ends on Thursday September 8. 

Congratulations to Marci Whitehurst who won HURRICAMP from the last blog.

Letters from My Tooth Fairy: A Picture Book Review

 Congratulations to Susan Rice who won TAILS FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER.

Letters from My Tooth Fairy, is Brooke Hecker's debut picture book. Written with a great sense of humor, I'm sure it won't be her last. Deborah Melmon's lively illustrations enhance the text. Together, they have created a book that belongs in every home and dental office. 

I have worked in my husband's dental practice and appreciate the facts that are intertwined with an entertaining story of a child losing her teeth. By the way, these letters are based on real letters Hecker's daughters received from their tooth fairy. 

REVIEW

Natalie loses tooth #1, the bottom central incisor, and her tooth fairy congratulates her on good tooth brushing and informs her that as she places lost teeth under her pillow, she will receive a "bit of money" in return.

Tooth #2 is lost during a blizzard, but the tooth fairy finds her way to Natalie's house. Tooth #3 is knocked out when Natalie runs into a wall.

Natalie worries about how big her teeth will grow, but the tooth fairy reassures her that she will not look like a walrus forever.

Throughout the book, the thoughtful tooth fairy knows a lot about Natalie's life, so when her baby sister is born, the Tooth Fairy leaves a necklace for Natalie. When Natalie moves and is afraid the Tooth Fairy won't be able to find her, she leaves her a shimmery fairy night-light.

Natalie worries about swallowing a lost tooth, and the smart Tooth Fairy answers her fears.

The story ends when Natalie is twelve and has her primary molars removed to get ready for braces. "It's always sad for me to say goodbye, but I am so proud to have watched you grow up." The tooth fairy says as she flies away with Natalie's two last baby teeth.

But she'll be back. Natalie's younger sister has her first loose incisor.

*******

Sorry, no giveaway this week. I gave this book to my grandchildren so they could learn more about losing teeth!

But, this would make a great gift for a child or grandchild who loses his first tooth--or for your family dentist!