LITTLE BEAR AND THE BIG HOLE

In Seal’s picture book, a young bear faces the hole his father’s death has left in his life.

Having recently lost Papa Bear, Little Bear lives with a large hole in his life that contains everything that could have been. Readers can see this hole at Little Bear’s feet, but none of the other animals do until Squirrel arrives; her sister also died, she explains, and she understands what Little Bear is going through. The two sit beside the hole in quiet contemplation before eventually writing letters that they bury inside. This act brings some relief; Little Bear and Squirrel pour music into the hole by playing a guitar and a flute. They are surprised to see the hole shrink in size until it transforms into sun-soaked fertile ground where a beautiful new tree can grow. (“And the tree must have opened something that sadness had blocked because Little Bear felt Love flowing through him again.”) The narrative is a tender exploration of grief and its changing forms. In simple, child-friendly language that literalizes Little Bear’s emotions, Seal demonstrates that, while grief may not disappear entirely, healing is still possible. Siim’s use of watercolors in the illustrations evokes the soft edges and murky nature of Little Bear’s emotions, relying on calm earth tones to convey a sense of peace and natural progression.

An empathetic meditation on grief that will speak to readers of any age.