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    The Rough Patch
    The Rough Patch
    The Rough Patch
    Audiobook6 minutes

    The Rough Patch

    Written by Brian Lies

    Narrated by Henry Leyva

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A Caldecott Honor Book

    An ALA Notable Book

    A 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 Brian Lies has created a beautiful, accessible, and deeply personal story about friendship, loss, and renewal. The Rough Patch was awarded a Caldecott Honor.

    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

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateAug 14, 2018
    ISBN9780062842046
    The Rough Patch
    Author

    Brian Lies

    Brian Lies is the Caldecott honor-winning author-illustrator of New York Times bestsellers Bats at the Beach, Bats at the Library, Bats at the Ballgame, and Bats in the Band. He has written and illustrated more than twenty books for children. Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Brian lives on the South Shore of Massachusetts with his family. www.BrianLies.com 

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    Reviews for The Rough Patch

    4.5/5

    66 ratings7 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      After his beloved dog dies, Evan attacks his garden in his grief and lets it go to the weeds. The appearance of a pumpkin vine staves off his response and he ends up caring for it until it grows a huge pumpkin. His pumpkin wins 3rd place at the fair and a very special prize.
    • 3/5
      C'est pas mal, la musique donne une bonne ambiance à l'expérience d'écoute.
    • 5/5
      sorrow for loss of pet/friend/companion; grieving; returning to the real green and growing world.
    • 3/5
      Evan and his dog did everything together, from listening to music to playing. Most of all, they liked to work in Evan's lovely garden. When his canine companion died, the fox withdrew from all of his usual activities, eventually destroying his garden in his anger at the universe. As weeds grew high and poisonous plants invaded, he encouraged everything dark and destructive to grow. Until, that is, a pumpkin began to grow, setting in motion a series of events that would reintroduce Evan to his other friends, at the local fair, and even lead to a new member of his family...Highly recommended to me by a colleague, The Rough Patch offers a poignant depiction of loss and the grieving process, pairing a sensitively-written tale with beautiful artwork. Author/illustrator Brian Lies, perhaps best known as the creator of the Bats at the Beach picture-book series, captures the way that anger so frequently accompanies grief in his story, while his colorful illustrations, done in acrylic, oil and colored pencil, capture the emotional register of each scene. The most poignant moment, for me, was the one in which Evan, discovering his dog, presumably dead in his little bed, reached out a tentative hand. I did find it a little distracting that Evan and his compatriots were all depicted as foxes, as I felt (despite foxes being a particular interest of mine) that it didn't really add to the story, and was occasionally distracting for me. Leaving that aside, this is an engaging, thoughtful tale about losing a loved one, reacting with anger and grief, and eventually, healing.
    • 4/5
      Evan and his dog did everything. When the dog dies, Evan becomes embittered as a result of his grief, withdrawing from society and neglecting things which formerly interested him. Then he allowed a pumpkin to grow, and Evan's life changes. Cute book, but the illustrations are not as endearing as I'd expect in a Caldecott honor book.
    • 5/5
      In this exquisitely illustrated picture book, an anthropomorphic fox loves his pet dog and does everything with him, especially gardening. One day the dog dies (of old age--no brutal accident or anything), and the fox falls into a terrible grief, which is chiefly represented by his letting his garden go to weed.This slammed me right in the heart. It's a lovely examination of grief and how one can slowly move out of it, but it is *ahem* rough going. I found the choice of a fox for the main character given his pet was a dog slightly odd, but I got over it pretty quick. Recommended, but know what you're letting yourself in for.
    • 5/5
      A short and sweet audiobook about loss and how to properly nurture and cope with the feelings that accompany loss.