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The Tunnel

by Sarah Howden

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2151,061,710 (3.6)None
"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."--… (more)
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Showing 5 of 5
I received an ARC from NetGalley. This book is hauntingly good. The (primarily) black and white illustrations set the tone. It is hard for kids to process feelings, especially feelings like grief. This book could either allow a child to start a conversation, or, just as important, allow them to feel normal for NOT wanting to have the conversation yet. ( )
  Dawn.Zimmerer | Jan 9, 2023 |
Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )
  fernandie | Sep 15, 2022 |
Something bad happened and the boy doesn't like to talk about it. To get away, he digs a hole in his bedroom floor and tunnels his way out of the house into the backyard. He could just disappear and no one would know where he had gone. But when he sees his mother through the window, it moves him to go back through the tunnel and into his room, where his mother comes in and gives him a hug. For children who've experienced trauma, an adult can use this work to help process heavy feelings. ( )
  Salsabrarian | Sep 6, 2022 |
Captures the experience of grief, especially the particular loss of a parent and partner. Spot color used effectively.
  JennyArch | May 4, 2022 |
Something has happened in this little child’s world. We don’t know what has happened but there is grief and sadness. Sometimes in the sadness you just want to be by yourself and away from the things that remind you or make you feel pressure. And our main child decides to dig a tunnel. The tunnel is under his bed and out to the night world. While out in the night world he sees his mother in the living room with his aunt and the sadness that emanates from the pages both from the words and the illustrations can be felt by both the boy and the reader. It helps all realize that sometimes you may need solitude but you always need your family. This book is wonderful for its simplicity. Its nonspecific and it could be anything. It could be troubles at school, it could be money problems, and it could be a death in the family. There are so many things that could bring about the situation that symbolizing how it feels works tremendously well. They are children that need this book so hopefully every library will have a copy. ( )
  LibrarianRyan | Mar 2, 2022 |
Showing 5 of 5
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"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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