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The tunnel / written by Sarah Howden ; illustrated by Erika Rodriguez Medina.

by Howden, Sarah, author.

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Toronto : Owlkids Books, [2022]

Emotions -- Juvenile fiction.

Grief in children -- Juvenile fiction.

9781771474276 (hardcover)

1771474270 (hardcover)

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 27 cm

"After something bad happens, a child has trouble connecting with those around him. His loved ones try to reach out and talk to him, but he only feels like running away. So, from his room, he picks up a shovel and digs a tunnel deep down and out into the backyard. Outside in the dark, nobody knows where he is. He could just disappear. But, seeing his mom in the window, his newfound distance offers him enough space to see the connection he needs. Something shifts inside him and he decides to return home. As he heads back through the tunnel, he travels less urgently. This time, the walls are familiar and the bugs know him. He lingers to greet them and smell the soil, eventually climbing back up into his square but cozy room. He covers up the hole to the tunnel and climbs into bed, just in time for the door to crack open and his mom to peak in. This time, when she hugs him, he doesn't feel like running away, but hugs her back tightly. When she notices a small twig in his hair and he explains that he made a tunnel out of there, she responds with understanding and warmth, only saying: "You came back." The text is simple, quiet, and emotionally resonant. The illustrations are stunning and equally evocative--a lovely pair with the text. Each spread embodies thoughtfully layered emotions of grief, loss, love, connection, and slow healing, and are full of details that offer a glimpse into the lives of substantial and relatable characters."--

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