The Rough Patch - by Brian Lies (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

A Caldecott Honor Book

An ALA Notable Book

A breathtakingly beautiful and 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-illustrator Brian Lies has created a beautiful, accessible, and deeply personal story about friendship, loss, and renewal. The Rough Patch was awarded a Caldecott Honor and features stunning paintings from the award-winning creator of Bats at the Beach.

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

From the Back Cover

Evan and his dog do everything together. They play and read and eat. But mostly you will find them tending to Evan's extraordinary garden, where flowers and other good things flourish and reach for the sky.

But friends don't always stay forever, and when Evan loses his, he destroys the place that meant the most to them, and creates something to match his mood. Something ugly and twisted, sad and stubborn, ragged and rough--and he likes it that way.

Until one day . . .

New York Times-bestselling author Brian Lies has created a breathtakingly beautiful and luminescent book about loss and grief, love and hope, and the healing power of friendship, curiosity, and nature.

Review Quotes

"The story is simply and subtly told with admirably genuine emotion, but the textured, strong-hued art is the real standout. Charming images...are to savor. ...Reassuring and clear, this is a heartfelt story about loss and discovering that one can love again." - Kirkus Reviews

"The polished, jaunty spreads that open this story by Lies give little hint of the deep emotion to come. ...The story of how Evan finds his way through his grief rings true, and Lies's atmospherically lit, exquisitely drafted paintings will absorb readers as they trace Evan's journey through mourning." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Spare and beautifully phrased...Lies's rich colors and expressive use of light are evident throughout this picture book, which acknowledges grief and delivers a hopeful message with subtlety, empathy and eloquence." - Booklist (starred review)

"With tender restraint, author and illustrator Brian Lies has crafted a deeply felt story of new hope and healing after loss...The pacing is flawless, and the emotions are never forced. ...Understated yet powerful, The Rough Patch is a story that stays with you." - BookPage

"In crisp, colorful, emotion-rich paintings, Brian Lies chronicles the hollow depths of bereavement and the eventual rekindling of love." - Wall Street Journal

"Grief is the watchword--though it's never stated--in The Rough Patch, a weepy and wonderful picture book by Brian Lies. ...As Evan's sorrow turns to rage and then destruction, the reader watches with distress and then with rising hope as the garden, with time, offers the grief-stricken fox a way back to happiness." - Wall Street Journal